Summary
A patient from the Seattle area had been in serious distress for four to five months with two cervical disc herniations and bone spurs crushing the nerves causing shoulder pain, numbness, tingling, and right-side weakness. Unable to sit upright without pain. Two surgeons separately recommended a posterior laminectomy and an ACDF fusion. While researching ACDFs on YouTube to prepare for the procedure, he discovered Deuk Spine Institute, watched surgical comparisons side by side, and contacted Dr. Deukmedjian for a virtual MRI review. After traveling to Florida, he underwent the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® for his cervical spine and after mentioning chronic sacroiliac joint arthritis from decades of sports. Was also treated with the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® for his SI joint during the same visit. The next day he reported feeling great, able to sit comfortably for the first time in months, and said he felt like dancing after the SI joint procedure. He was patient number 2,734 in Deuk Spine’s 20-year, zero-complication laser surgery history.
Transcript
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Good morning. I’m Dr. Ara Deukmedjian here with a patient who traveled from Washington State to Florida to have Deuk Spine Institute procedures done on both his neck and his lower back. Now, he came to me with two herniated discs in his neck with lots of bone spurs crushing the nerves, causing pain going into his shoulder and mostly numbness, tingling, and weakness on the right side. We went in with the laser yesterday. We found these herniation pieces. There was a lot of herniation and bone spur, you can see. And I was able to use the laser to remove them precisely. And now here he is today. How are you feeling with respect to your neck and your arm?
Patient: I feel great. I couldn’t sit like this several days ago. I’d be like this, to take the pressure off my neck. So for the last four or five months, yeah, I was in distress. So to be able to come here and in about four hours I was in and then out, going home with my wife. So it was amazing.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Now, you obviously had access to surgeons to do spine surgery where you live. What were you offered up there, and why did you choose to come here?
Patient: We have a place in Las Vegas, and we were kind of desperate. I was in bad shape. So we found a doctor, went to get MRIs, and then the neurosurgeon there recommended a posterior laminectomy. It was devastating. I was depressed because we live up in the Seattle area. We already had an appointment, but because we had to get one way in advance. And then that neurosurgeon recommended an ACDF. Because of that recommendation from the Seattle surgeon, I began to look at YouTube to learn about ACDFs to learn about that procedure if that’s what I was going to get. And I found Dr. Deuk and Deuk Spine Institute online on YouTube. I started watching I watched three ACDFs, and then I watched three laser surgeries on three people, because that’s what he would recommend while he’s doing the ACDF. And so I went, “Oh, well, let me check that out.” After that, I thought, “Well, let me at least call down here and check into it.”
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: How did you find the whole MRI review experience for your cervical spine?
Patient: Well, it was great. I had an iPad sitting on our table in the living room and Dr. Deuk came on screen, asked me a few questions, asked me to do a few things with my neck, asked me where the pain was. He said clearly I needed surgery. I then decided my wife and I decided. That we would fly down, go through the process, and so here we are.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Are you happy you came to Deuk Spine Institute?
Patient: Oh, big time. Because also I have chronic sacroiliac joint arthritis from years and years of sports. It just flared up after I had just had a shot to take care of the pain. It didn’t work. So when I got down here just two days ago, I asked Dr. Deuk to look at it and he thought it was a good candidate for the rhizotomy. And oh my gosh, you guys. I mean, I can start dancing now. So that’s kind of amazing. On the same table they just flipped me over. It was amazing.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: Isn’t that the best?
Patient: It’s incredible. If there are any of you that are beginning the process of anything associated with the spine from top to bottom. You need to just go do some research on Deuk Spine Institute. What Dr. Deukmedjian has started here is amazing. Years ago; it’s been around for 25, 30 years. The Deuk Laser Disc Repair® is 20 years.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: We’ve done 2,734 laser surgeries in 20 years and not a single complication. Not a single complication with any of the patients in 20 years. That’s how safe the surgery is. Congratulations.
Patient: Thank you very much for having faith in Deuk Spine and coming here. You’re my neurosurgeon from this point forward.
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian: You bet. Anytime. You take care, sir. Enjoy yourself.
Patient: Thanks.
Deuk Laser Disc Repair® & Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® At Deuk Spine
This patient underwent two procedures at Deuk Spine Institute in a single visit: the Deuk Laser Disc Repair® for two cervical disc herniations with bone spurs causing nerve compression, shoulder pain, and right-side numbness and weakness and the Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® for chronic sacroiliac joint arthritis, performed on the same table by simply repositioning the patient. Two separate surgeons had recommended a posterior laminectomy and an ACDF cervical fusion. Both of which were avoided entirely. As patient number 2,734 in Deuk Spine’s 20-year laser surgery history, he is part of an unbroken record of zero complications across all Deuk Laser Disc Repair® procedures. The Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® for the SI joint permanently destroys the pain nerves supplying the arthritic joint with no injections, no hospitalization, and no recovery downtime. Patients can begin with a complimentary MRI review and virtual consultation with Dr. Deukmedjian before traveling to Deuk Spine Institute.