[jss]

swtjen01,

Condolences on your spine problems, but welcome.

I commend you on doing your research rather than just accepting what your doctor tells you. As I know you're now aware, this research is best done in the months before surgery, not in the days or even weeks before surgery. A four level ACDF may be the best course for you, I don't know; but until you've researched your condition, possible treatments, common outcomes in others that had various treatments, etc... then you can't know either. Unless your condition/situation demands a December surgery, I believe that you will be best served by cancelling your upcoming surgery, researching your options and then selecting a treatment based on the knowledge gleaned from your research.

The surgeon from my first two ACDF's did a good job, but left me with a slight kyphosis at C4/5/6. When he told me seven years later that I needed three more fusions, I first did about eight months of research and ended up having two ADR's. That was four years ago this coming Monday, and so far the kyphosis has not been an issue.

Your case is different though in that it may be possible for your kyphosis to be corrected. In the surgical outcomes forum you'll find a number of ADR recipients that had ADR surgery at a level with kyphosis. Most are successful outcomes; even the ones done in the US. Most of them don't post here any longer, but might respond to a PM.

Whatever treatment decision you make is going to live on with you for another 50 or so years. Taking a few months to research your options seems wise. The best place to start is the "Surgical Outcomes" section of this and any other spine forums that you can find. You will begin to see clear patterns emerge.

Good luck, Jeff