[abenhaim]

Update.

As I never had a super clear path with ADR or fusion, I ended up doing a discectomy by Dr. Robert Eastlack in San Diego on February 8, 2023. I was told the way Dr Eastlack performs the surgery would not preclude me from doing a bigger surgery later on - so I opted to try it first.

I am amazed by the results: snowboarding 10 days later with zero pain!
Its been 7 weeks or so since the surgery, Im lifting weights, working out almost every day, and have been dumbfounded by the effective result this relatively simple surgery has produced.

Even if this procedure works for only a few years, and I need major surgery later - I think it would still be worth it.

Whats weird is that I talked to a dozen+ surgeons over many years, in Europe, TX, CA. I shared detailed XRAY, CT, MRI images with all of them, and yet I only heard discectomy viability beginning of this year. I was told discectomy is viable if you have shooting leg pain, no shooting pain - you need fusion. There is still a long way to go before efficient clear diagnosis can be performed.

Wishing everyone here finds their way. Its still very early, less than 2 months, but so far discectomy surgery has been life changing for me.