Indiana Patient Overcomes Two Disc Herniations with DLDR®

In this testimonial, a patient from Indiana describes how the Deuk Laser Disc Repair^® (DLDR) ended years of debilitating pain from two herniated discs at L1–2 and L5–S1—pain that local surgeons dismissed or misdiagnosed. Despite multiple failed treatments and surgeons recommending an unnecessary disc replacement while ignoring the true source of pain, he found answers during a diagnostic Zoom consultation with Dr. Deuk. After laser surgery addressing the real problem—tears and herniations at the back of both discs—he reports immediate relief, the ability to sit comfortably again, and a completely new outlook on life. After years unable to work, he’s excited to start fresh and rebuild his future.

Transcript:

Dr. Deukmedjian: I'm Dr. Deukmedjian at the Deuk Spine Institute here with a patient who has traveled from Indiana. But you came here because you were having pain in your lower back and your upper lower back. So you had two disc herniations that you came here for laser surgery. We performed the laser surgery. We found some tears in the back of the disc with herniated nucleus pulposus and we saw them endoscopically. We cleaned them up with a laser. How do you feel?

Patient: Pretty good. I don't have any of the pain. I mean, it's a little sore from, you know, actually having surgery, but a different kind of pain.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Yeah. Yeah, it's just so much different.

Patient: Like I can sit and be fine. Sitting used to be the worst. It's like I can sit for, you know, half an hour, an hour maybe, and then it's like, you know, I got to do something about it. Lay down or just take that pressure off.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Yeah. And you chose to come to Deuk Spine Institute. How did you find us and why did you choose to come here?

Patient: I had talked to a few surgeons because I was finally—I had tried so many things. Just got to the point where I was like, I have to have some kind of surgery. Like nothing else is—even the things that work just didn't have the endurance. Like they didn't last.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Where was your pain?

Patient: So, I had some like in my L5-S1, but a lot of it was in my L1, L2, and like it would come out like into my ribs. My lower back would just naturally like tense up and try to like bend forward and like I don't have that now. I can just sit and be comfortable and not have to try to, you know, hold things in place and.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Yeah.

Patient: So, it's awesome.

Dr. Deukmedjian: So, what did these other surgeons recommend for you back at home?

Patient: They told me they could not do anything for my cervical, for my lower back. They wanted to do a disc replacement for my L5-S1. Just couldn't really understand it because I'm like, the pain that I'm having is higher. Like, it's more towards my mid.

Dr. Deukmedjian: So, they ignored your L1-L2 disc problem?

Patient: Yes.

Dr. Deukmedjian: They didn't completely because it was more subtle on the MRI. It was more of a tear and bulge. It wasn't like the bottom disc that was really badly damaged structurally. So, they basically blew it off.

Patient: Yeah.

Dr. Deukmedjian: And they weren't going to do anything to help you. 

Patient: And the first time I talked, like the very first consultation you and I had was for my lower back. You asked me why it hurts and I pointed it out and you were like, "Yeah, that's probably your L2." And that was actually really gratifying because that was what I had been thinking, but nobody else, even some of the physical therapists didn't seem to think it was relevant.

Dr. Deukmedjian: So, and I mentioned it during your surgery. You know when we were in there with the laser I mentioned that there are accidents that happen with people where they hyper flex at the L1-L2 especially the old days when there were the seat belts that were lap belts without the shoulder belt. People would get into an accident, and they would just be launched forward, and the lap belt would hold them down so they would pivot at L1-L2, and they could tear the disc and injure the disc and that would cause severe pain for the rest of their life. But that's what Deuk Spine does. We diagnose people's source of their pain quite well and we can do all that through a free Zoom call and that's what you did and now you're here.

Patient: Really probably what sold me was you guys actually have like a diagnostic. You can tell, you know, like this is why you have pain here, this, this and this. Like that's all I needed to hear. You know what you're doing.

Dr. Deukmedjian: What's life going to be like for you now that you've got your lower back fixed?

Patient: Honestly, I have no idea. It's going to be a fresh start. I haven't been able to work for several years. It's been probably four or five years. I think I'd like to start my own business again. You know, maybe some kind of game store/library/coffee shop. I don't know. We'll see where things go.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Anything else you want to tell your fans and viewers out there?

Patient: If you're having back pain or problems, I definitely recommend coming here, getting checked out, getting your consultation, and seeing what they can do. Because if they say they can do it, they can actually do it here.

Dr. Deukmedjian: Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate you sharing your experience at Deuk Spine.

Patient: Anytime.

The Deuk Spine Difference

Using a high-definition camera inserted through a tiny 4mm incision, Dr. Deukmedjian visualized the herniated nucleus pulposus and annular tears endoscopically, then used a precision laser to vaporize the herniated tissue. Unlike traditional disc replacement or spinal fusion procedures, DLDR^® requires no hardware implants and causes no collateral damage to surrounding structures. The procedure takes less than an hour and is performed in a modern surgery center under sedation. Recovery takes less than three days, and patients wake up to immediate pain relief with a surgical scar so small it can be covered with a Band-Aid. With a 99.6% success rate, DLDR^® offers superior diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes compared to conventional spine surgery approaches.