90% Neck Pain Gone After Failed Fusion Surgery

This patient arrived at Deuk Spine Institute suffering from a painful cervical disc herniation at C6–7, which developed below a previous C5–6 fusion performed at another facility. Dr. Ara Deukmedjian. M.D. treated the injury using Deuk Laser Disc Repair®, a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure that removes herniations and repairs annular tears without fusion, hardware, or loss of mobility. Only a day after surgery, the patient reported a 90% improvement in pain, increased mobility, and no need for narcotic medication—an especially meaningful outcome given his sobriety. In contrast to his difficult year-long recovery from fusion, he described Deuk Laser Disc Repair® as a “night and day” difference, offering faster relief, motion preservation, and a return to normal life. His story highlights the effectiveness of modern endoscopic spine surgery and offers hope for patients seeking an alternative to fusion.

Transcript:

Dr. Deukmedjian: Good morning. I'm Dr. Deukmedjian at the Deuk Spine Institute. I'm here with one of my patients who underwent cervical Deuk Laser Disc Repair®.  He had a herniated disc below his prior ACDF fusion. He had a fusion done at C5-6. He developed a herniation below at C6-7. We went in, you can see in the video below his fusion and metal plate. We went to the disc below that and we used the laser to remove the herniation, clean the tear and here he is to talk about his experience. How are you feeling?

Patient: I feel amazing. 24 hours after and I had a five-level pain still and I woke up today and I'm I feel 90% better.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Awesome.

Patient: It's amazing. It's like I can almost say instant relief at this point.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Okay. Do you still have the pain from before surgery?

Patient: Um, no. That's the pain that's gone. I just have a little post-op stiffness. That's it. But honestly, even my walk I take a walk every day and the blood flowed faster. I was so used to waking up in the morning and being locked up from all that pain. Today, I was a lot looser. I was I was shocked. It has blown my mind.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Are you taking narcotic painkillers after your surgery?

Patient: No. No. No. I had two muscle relaxers right after surgery, one right after the surgery and then one before bed. But I'm a sober individual, so they're already out of the question.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Now, compared to your prior surgery with the fusion, which you had done elsewhere, how would you compare your two different surgeries, fusion versus Deuk Laser Disc Repair®?

Patient: Night and day. The fusion, even down to the meds they started me on, starting me on some hardcore narcotics to put me under. They had problems with me being in anesthesia. Down to the recovery, I the recovery took me almost a year. I already feel a thousand times better the day after versus the fusion. This this is outstanding.

Dr. Deukmedjian: And you know, fusion, as you know, is very invasive and you're losing movement with fusion. They're taking away the movement of your natural disc. With the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® that you had, there is no loss of movement. You get to keep all the movement of your neck. What would you say to people out there considering Fusion versus Deuk Laser Disc Repair®?

Patient: Forget the Fusion. Come see the man. Come see the man.

Dr. Deukmedjian: What's life going to be like for you now that you had your neck fixed?

Patient: Well, when my girls get older and I have grandkids eventually, now I won't be having to worry about being in a wheelchair. I'll be able to I won't lose any more of my life because it is de it's debilitating. When you have hernias or anything wrong with your neck, it takes away from everything. It really does and it sucks, and you fix that up for me and I'm very pleased with it.

Dr. Deukmedjian: You're welcome. Any final words for your fans out there?

Patient: Rock and roll and keep yourself healthy and stay ahead of the game.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Right on. Enjoy life, my friend.

Patient: Thanks, my buddy.

For patients suffering from debilitating pain after failed fusion surgery, my revolutionary procedure—Deuk Laser Disc Repair® (DLDR)—offers a safer way to alleviate neck or back pain without risk of collateral damage, as it avoids the muscles, nerves, ligaments, tendons, and joints. DLDR is a minimally invasive form of endoscopic spine surgery performed in a modern surgery center under sedation. The procedure uses a precision laser to vaporize herniated tissue through a tiny 4mm incision. Fascia, muscles, ligaments, or bone are not damaged or removed. Fusions and artificial discs are not necessary. After surgery, patients wake up to immediate relief and a surgical scar so small that the surgeon can cover it with a Band-Aid. Our success rate is 99.5%, and we have treated thousands of patients who are now living pain-free.