Canadian Patient Avoids Fusion, Finds Instant Neck Relief

Summary

A patient from Canada shares his experience less than 24 hours after undergoing a Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® for severe neck and facet joint pain that caused arm symptoms and finger numbness. After being advised in Canada to undergo an invasive multi-level cervical fusion with permanent loss of motion, he explains why he chose to travel to Deuk Spine Institute for a minimally invasive, permanent alternative. He reflects on the free MRI consultation, the smooth outpatient experience, immediate pain relief, and the confidence of receiving the correct diagnosis and treatment—without metal implants, fusion, or repeat procedures. 

Transcript

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And good morning. I'm Dr. Ara Deukmedjian. It's February 26, 2025. I'm here with one of my lovely Canadian patients. He's built like a mountain and what brought you to Deuk Spine Institute for your surgery?

Patient: What brought me here was finding you on YouTube really and spending the time and learning about procedures that you do that are different than what we are offered in Canada and just seeing all the success that you're having with patients.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And what was your symptom, what brought you here?

Patient: Uh, primarily symptoms was neck pain. Yeah, neck pain, right side scapula, at its worst level it was shooting down my arm and numbness in my fingers. A good day would just be soreness in my neck.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So, you had facet joint pain and that's what we treated yesterday. We used our plasma wand. We went in and destroyed the pain nerves to the painful arthritic facet joints. It's a permanent fix when we do it here at Deuk Spine, unlike everywhere else where they do RFAs, and it's temporary and you have to keep going back. How do you feel today?

Patient: Feel great, yeah, what a difference.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You still have the same pain in the facets?

Patient: No, not at all. I just got a little bit of soreness obviously, procedure based. I can feel where you went through with the endoscopic tube and just went through muscle tissue. You got a lot of muscle in the back of your neck, so be tender for a bit. But yeah, know it feels really good.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So, you're happy?

Patient: I'm very happy.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: What was your alternative surgery to the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® what were you considering up in Canada?

Patient: What I was considering was to go through with a private anterior cervical discectomy fusion, C5-6 and C6-7. So glad that I hit the stop button at that moment when I started to realize what it was cutting my throat from the front. Makes me real nervous putting a metal plate, yeah, screws and pins and no losing movement of your neck permanently. Fusion who wants that. He originally wanted to do one level C5-6 and then I think the worst herniation C6-7, for what we've discussed. And, and as time went on, so, if he had it done what we originally planned, we wouldn't even I would have still had the problem with the with the facet.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And that's why the right diagnosis from the beginning is so important because you get the right diagnosis you can pick the right treatment. But when you get the wrong diagnosis from your doctor, then you get the wrong treatment. People stay in pain. Now you came all the way from Canada. Why did you travel so far to come to Deuk Spine Institute?

Patient: Because of what you do, and it wasn't just that. It was when we first when had our MRI meeting you and I. I just got a good feeling right from that moment because it was the first time that you and I had had a conversation to offer that without any obligation is unlike anywhere else you're never going to get a neurosurgeon on the computer for free generally. Yesterday was really good because I was nervous a little bit coming in, right, didn't know what to expect and I haven't been under anesthesia in a long time so didn't know how I was going to respond to that.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You did great.

Patient: Yeah, no, good came out good too and ironically enough my mind had trapped at the moment. I went out and when the moment I came back I was exactly where I was when I went out interesting to a tea it kind of threw me off because I opened up my eyes and I remember laying down on the table and I and I remember uh what's the anesthesiologist Dr. Berndes?

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Yeah.

Patient: So, he said he was just trying to get the drip going and that was.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: I see so you went to the Twilight Zone.

Patient: Yeah, right in that moment and when I woke up. I woke up on the table but yet they were wheeling me into the recovery room, and I was like oh geez it's already it's already done.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You're like what they cancel the surgery your surgery was asleep well congratulations enjoy life.

Patient: Yeah, thank you and I'm very happy for you.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Yeah, we'll see you again.

Patient: Thank you very much.

Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Yes, sir all right let's get you out of here.

A Game-Changing Procedure

Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® (DPR) is a revolutionary procedure for treating cervical facet joint pain that offers a permanent solution, unlike traditional radiofrequency ablation (RFA) which provides only temporary relief requiring repeated treatments. This patient underwent DPR® for arthritic facet joints at C5-6 and C6-7 that were causing severe neck pain, scapula pain, arm shooting pain, and finger numbness. Using advanced endoscopic technology and a precision plasma wand, Dr. Ara Deukmedjian eliminated the patient's facet joint pain through a minimally invasive approach. The procedure was performed in a modern surgery center under sedation, required no metal hardware or fusion, and preserved full neck movement. After proper diagnosis through free MRI consultation, the patient avoided unnecessary fusion surgery and achieved permanent pain relief. This outpatient procedure allows patients to return to their hotel the same day with immediate improvement.