If you live with chronic knee pain, you’ve probably been told that knee replacement is the eventual answer. It’s a proven operation — but it’s also major surgery, and it isn’t the only path to relief. Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy® offers a fundamentally different approach. Understanding how the two compare can help you make a confident, informed decision.
Two very different approaches to knee pain
Knee replacement (arthroplasty) removes the damaged joint surfaces and replaces them with metal and plastic components. It addresses the structural damage directly, but it requires general anesthesia, a 6–10 inch incision, a hospital stay, and weeks to months of rehabilitation.
Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy takes aim at a different target: the nerves that carry pain signals from the knee. Rather than replacing the joint, it uses plasma energy delivered through a single 4mm opening to destroy those pain nerves — preserving your natural knee entirely.
Comparing the two at a glance
- Incision: 4mm for Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy vs. 6–10 inches for replacement.
- Anesthesia: twilight sedation vs. general anesthesia.
- Hospital stay: outpatient, home the same day vs. one to four days.
- Recovery: back to normal activity the next day vs. weeks to months of rehab.
- Implant: none vs. a permanent metal-and-plastic joint.
- Your knee: preserved vs. removed.
Who is Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy for?
You may be a strong candidate if your knee pain stems from arthritis or degenerative joint disease, if medication, injections, or physical therapy haven’t given lasting relief, or if you’d rather avoid the hardware, hospital stay, and long recovery that come with replacement. It’s also an option for patients whose previous knee replacement didn’t fully relieve their pain.
It isn’t right for everyone. Some knees are damaged in ways that genuinely call for reconstruction. The only way to know which camp you fall into is a proper evaluation of your imaging.
How to find out which is right for you
At Deuk Joint Institute, Dr. Ara Deukmedjian personally reviews every MRI submitted for evaluation — at no cost. He’ll identify the source of your pain and tell you honestly whether Deuk Plasma Rhizotomy can help, or whether another approach would serve you better.
Chronic knee pain narrows your world a little more every year. Before you commit to replacing the joint, it’s worth understanding every option. Learn more about non-surgical knee pain treatment or submit your MRI for a free review.
