@margiewoods51111 I think another surgeon's opinion is needed to get an answer to your question. They can do a surgery to address the stenosis in the foramen without removing a disc. When you have a fusion it is because they have to put something into the space after they remove a disc which will bond the vertebrae together. You'll need to get a surgeon to answer that for you as to what is their recommendation. You can get different answers from different surgeons, so you may want to get several opinions. One question to ask is if a specific procedure can cause instability or a weakened area of the spine. That may be an issue if bone quality is weakened such as in osteoporosis.

Does your MRI show that the disc above the fusion is getting worse or is it just the stenosis in the foramen causing compression of the nerve that is causing the leg pain?

Jennifer

See a pain specialist in a pain clinic. If you are near a university try their clinic. They are more familiar with minimally invasive possibilities than surgeons. Foraminal narrowing is narrowing in the joint at the side of the vetebral body. If the disc is so compressed or if the vertebra were collapsed you might be best with the surgery you don't want.
But it doesn't sound like that is what has happened. I'd guess that you lived with unstable spine for so long enough that you've developed bone spurs sometimes called osteophytes.
The pain nerve (medial branch nerve) can be numbed or ablated so that it doesn't carry pain signals. This outpatient procedure doesn't reduce function in any way. Bone spurs can be removed in a outpatient procedure. Keep posting, especially when are responses are unclear. From Cleveland CLinic
Foramen surgery. A foraminotomy is a surgery to widen the neural foramen. Foraminectomy is similar but also involves removing tissue from the surrounding area to widen the foramen.
Facet joint surgery. This typically involves facetectomy, removing an entire facet joint to relieve pressure on your spinal cord and spinal nerves.
Lamina surgery. Laminotomy involves removing a small section of bone and soft tissue from a vertebra that’s crowding or pressing on your spinal cord or spinal nerves. Laminectomy is removing a larger center section of the vertebra.
Bone spur removal. Removing bone spurs (osteophytes) can relieve pressure if they’re pressing on one or more spinal nerves.
Spinal cord stimulator. This involves implanting an electrical stimulator that connects to part of your spinal cord. The stimulator sends a mild electrical current to cells in your spinal cord. The current occupies the cells, keeping them from sending and relaying pain signals. A spinal cord stimulator can help if surgery doesn’t work or isn’t possible.

Thank you.