@ptpatty Mayo also has patients send in imaging for review when they apply for appointments. They review imaging at no charge when making a decision on accepting a case, and they return the discs later. Good surgeons who are in demand do review a case before accepting a patient. If there are other surgeons you want to see for opinions, you can get multiple copies of your imaging for review. It sounds like you have a plan.

@gently for your question, if a disc has herniated a lot and is collapsed, the bone from the end plates above and below it may be able to make contact and grow together fusing the spine. That bone may be remodeling and producing spurs. Sometimes surgeons just remove a herniated piece of a disc and leave the disc in place. That may herniate again. You are correct that complete removal of the disc is done during a fusion operation.