[jss]

Running,

I ditto Icanraceit's concerns about cervical fusion and adjacent segment disease. I had a cervical fusion; two years later I needed another at an adjacent segment. Eight years later I was told that I needed THREE more at the adjacent segments.

Dr Alan Hilibrand's 1999 study on cervical adjacent segment disease after fusion is one of the most commonly cited studies in scientific literature on ADR. His findings show that a cervical fusion patient has a 25% chance of surgery at an adjacent segment within 10 years of a fusion. Dr Hilibrand published only the reoperation probability for a single level fusion, stating that the reoperation level for a double fusion was "significantly lower". While there is not yet any data (of which I'm aware) that show the probability of revision surgery 10 years after a double ADR, if you have a double fusion then you'd better be prepared for more surgery a few years down the road.

I do understand your husband's reservations; as it seems that complications from an ADR tend to have very bad outcomes. However, complications from an overseas ADR do seem to occur only very rarely. It can be a difficult call.

Good luck, Jeff