Summary
A retired woman from Idaho had been gradually losing her ability to garden and enjoy retirement due to worsening lower back pain that began in 2015. With the most severe pain persisting for over five years, wearing down her positive outlook and making it increasingly difficult to maintain hope. Previous treatments provided diminishing relief over time, and nothing had offered a lasting solution. After her husband researched extensively and discovered Deuk Spine Institute, she traveled to Florida and underwent both the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® in a single afternoon with two annular disc tears confirmed by discogram during surgery. The following day she was standing straighter, walking normally, pain-free for the first time in years, and smiling in a way her husband hadn’t seen in a long time. Already planning to get back to gardening and fly a kite.
Transcript
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: This is Dr. Ara Deukmedjian, CEO and founder of Deuk Spine Institute. I’m here with one of my patients and you’ve traveled from where to Deuk Spine?
Patient: Idaho.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Idaho. With your lovely husband. And we’ve had a few conversations. She came here to have her back fixed. How long have you had back pain?
Patient: For over seven years.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Okay. And what kind of work did you do before you retired, if you don’t mind me asking?
Patient: It was desk work.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: All right. And so you had back pain for seven years. Did you have an injury to your back, or did it just kind of gradually come on?
Patient: It just gradually came on. I actually noticed it first in 2015 when I was gardening and I couldn’t be up there for eight hours. I was into it for about four hours and I had to take a break. And as time progressed, my breaks got longer and longer and the amount of work I did in the garden was less and less.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Understood. And you’re retired now, so what’s it like having back pain limit your ability to do stuff when you’re retired?
Patient: For me it’s very frustrating. I can’t do what I want to do. So we kept seeking solutions and nothing was working. They did work for a short while, but that short while decreased over time. It was shorter and shorter. My husband does research very, very well. Through his research he found you. We read that you can fix my back. And you did fix my back.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: That’s right. And I thank you.
Patient: You’re welcome.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So when did you have the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® done and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy®?
Patient: I had those done yesterday in the afternoon.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And…
Patient: I am sitting straighter. I’m standing straighter. I’m walking normal. It’s like… wow.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: I knew it. Look at that smile right there. I hadn’t seen that until just now.
Patient: Well, it wasn’t there yesterday. It wasn’t there before surgery.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And how long have you been not smiling because you’ve been in pain. I mean really bad pain? How long has the really bad pain been there?
Patient: Well, the really bad pain has probably been over the last five years. It’s something that was really tough to maintain a positive attitude and try to keep a smile on my face and keep Jeff’s hopes up. I tend to be a positive person, but there were times when it does drag you down.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Of course. Yeah. It’s hard living with chronic pain. And especially with loved ones they have a hard time relating. Of course they want to be supportive. And your husband is a very supportive man, obviously. He’s a pleasure to meet. I know he’s an author as well. And so what are you going to do now that you’ve had the surgery? You can see actually the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® procedure she had done yesterday right here. We went into the discs that were damaged. You had two annular tears. We tested your discs during the surgery and indeed they were causing your pain so we verified that with our discogram and then I went ahead and used the laser to clean up the tears that were causing your pain and get rid of that source of pain for you. And here you are; you’re doing fantastic. How much of your back pain from before surgery do you still have?
Patient: Oh, virtually nothing. It’s gone. It’s gone. Cured. My lower back I have not been without pain in my lower back until your surgery. It’s constant. It’s always there. I’ve never been without it. I’m without it now.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So are you going to go back to gardening?
Patient: You bet I am.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: All right, very good. And what other things would you like to do now that you have a new back that doesn’t hurt you anymore?
Patient: You know, the biggest thing I want to do. I want to go fly a kite.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Let’s go fly a kite then. That’s right. Well, congratulations on having faith and being brave and getting it done. Is there anything else you want to say to your fans out there?
Patient: I highly recommend Dr. Deuk. Deuk Spine Institute and Dr. Deuk personally, to help you fix your back.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Thank you. I appreciate that. All right safe travels. That wasn’t too bad, was it?
Patient: It was wonderful.
Deuk Laser Disc Repair® and Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® At Deuk Spine Institute
This patient underwent both the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® at Deuk Spine Institute in a single afternoon procedure. Treating two confirmed annular disc tears identified and verified during surgery using a discogram, ensuring the correct sources of pain were precisely targeted before treatment. The Deuk Laser Disc Repair® used a laser to clean out the annular tears causing her seven-year history of progressive lower back pain, while the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® permanently addressed the additional joint pain component. All performed as a single outpatient visit with no hospitalization and no narcotic pain medication required. The use of intraoperative discography to confirm pain sources before treatment reflects Deuk Spine Institute’s commitment to precise, verified diagnosis rather than assumption. Ensuring every procedure is targeted exactly where it needs to be. Patients from across the country including those in Idaho and other underserved states. Can begin with a complimentary MRI review and virtual consultation with Dr. Deukmedjian at Deuk Spine Institute.