@ckmerc Artificial discs have to be qualified to use next to fusions, and I have not heard of any that can be used next to a 3 level fusion. There is also the issue of instability that will disqualify use of artificial discs. When I was reading about clinic trials, the cutoff for disqualification was 4 mm of slipping. I could have had an artificial disc, but I wasn't a great candidate because I had 2 mm of vertebrae slipping past each other.

It sounds like you have an excellent surgeon in Dr. Wascher. I looked at his website that talks about his statistics. I was hoping to see a picture of him, but didn't find one.

I don't know what your surgeon would say, but a single level fusion can be done without hardware if you stayed in a neck brace until fused. That is what I did, and it was a great choice for me. I know you have concerns about possible removal and replacement of your current hardware.