Air Force Veteran Avoids Fusion with DLDR Laser Surgery
Summary
A retired Air Force veteran and former postal worker from Ocala, Florida, suffered from chronic back pain for over 15 years, had undergone two prior laminectomies, and was told by a local neurosurgeon that spinal fusion was his only remaining option. Unwilling to accept that, he researched alternatives and discovered Deuk Spine Institute, where Dr. Ara Deukmedjian performed the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® (DLDR) and Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® to treat his herniated discs and facet joint pain. Within hours of his procedure, he was walking pain-free, required only a muscle relaxer and Tylenol, and returned home without opioids — finally free of the back pain that had followed him for decades.
Transcript
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: I'm here with a gentleman who has traveled far, far away — Ocala, Florida, right — to come to the Deuk Spine Institute for his back pain. You had the Deuk Laser Disc Repair and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy, where we went in and treated your facet joints for back pain that you've had for a long time. How do you feel today?
Patient: I feel great. The pain's gone. I can stand up straight with no back pain. That's a blessing.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: It is a blessing. And I noticed your wife is happy too.
Patient: Certainly. Yeah, your family is here supporting you, and they're very pleased with the results.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So you had surgery. It took us about an hour, hour and a half, and then you went home maybe an hour after recovery. You went back to your hotel. When did you start getting up and moving around?
Patient: Right after the surgery. I walked right away.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You walked right away?
Patient: Yes.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Have you been taking any opioid, narcotic pain pills? Did we give you all those pain pills?
Patient: No, no. Had a muscle relaxer and Tylenol.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And that's it?
Patient: That's it.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: So with a muscle relaxer and a Tylenol, here you are pain-free in your back.
Patient: Yep, that's right.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Isn't that incredible?
Patient: I'm really happy with it.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: I can tell. All right, tell us about your struggles with your back pain over the last 15 years.
Patient: Well, I did work for the Postal Service after I retired from the Air Force. I did have a back issue when I worked for them, and that was in the 90s. So it had been quite a while. Got through pain management and didn't have too much success, but I got rid of the pain. So over the years, it's been off and on. And then the first surgery I had was in 2012 — I had an L4-L5 laminectomy. And then in 2018, I had another L5-S1 laminectomy. I didn't know about you. This time, I went to a local neurosurgeon. After his review of my MRI, he said all he could do for me was to fuse my spine. And I said, well, that's not acceptable. So he sent me to rehab — went through some of their machines, traction machine, a few sessions. I mean, it was okay, but it didn't solve the problem. So I started researching. That's how I found you.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Good. I'm glad you did, because now your back's fixed and you're not going to have to go anywhere else. Once you find the right surgeon, then you take action and you do something to help yourself. So I'm really pleased. Is there anything else you want to tell your fans out there?
Patient: If you have an issue with your back, this would be a good place to send your MRI for review. That's what I did. So I'm really happy.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Congratulations.
Patient: Thank you, sir.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: And I'm happy that you're going to be enjoying many years of pain-free living.
Patient: I'm looking forward to it.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: All right. Let's get you out of here and get you home.
Patient: Thank you.
The Better Way: Deuk Laser Disc Repair® & Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy®
This patient was treated at Deuk Spine Institute for chronic back pain stemming from disc degeneration and facet joint deterioration following two prior laminectomies. Dr. Ara Deukmedjian performed the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® (DLDR) to address disc herniations and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® to treat painful facet joints — allowing the patient to walk immediately after surgery, avoid spinal fusion, and return home the same day without opioid pain medication.
