CERVICAL STENOSIS SURGERY - IMPERATIVE OR ELECTIVE?

I had an injury to the the C5-C6 & C6-C7 levels in 2014 exacerbated by herniated discs due to 25 years of using a laptop computer.
Starting in January of 2025, I started having pain in my right shoulder radiating down my right bicep and arm. An MRI was ordered by the Pain Management Specialist. Based on the findings in the radiology report below, is surgery imperative or can it be elective?

Findings: The cervical vertebral bodies are normal in height and alignment with normal marrow signal. There is partial straightening of the cervical spine. No prevertebral soft tissue swelling is noted. There is no evidence of a cervical cord mass, syrinx or Chiari malformation. There is desiccation of the cervical disks.

At C2-C3, there is mild posterior bulging of the disc. No spinal or neuroforaminal stenosis is noted.

At C3-C4, there is disc osteophyte complex with broad-based posterior bulging of the disc. There is flattening of the ventral surfaces of the thecal sac and the cervical cord. Mild central spinal stenosis is noted. There is moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal narrowing secondary to bony hypertrophy.

At C4-C5, there is central posterior bulging of the disc with focal effacement of the ventral surfaces of the thecal sac and the cervical cord. No overt spinal stenosis is noted. There is moderate narrowing of the left neuroforamen secondary to bony hypertrophy.

At C5-C6, there is posterior disc osteophyte complex with effacement of the ventral surfaces of the thecal sac and the cervical cord with significant narrowing of the central canal. Moderate to severe neuroforaminal stenosis is noted secondary to combination of the disc and facet hypertrophy. Disc height is diminished.

At C6-C7, there is posterior disc osteophyte complex with asymmetric narrowing of the central canal. Moderate to severe bilateral neuroforaminal stenosis is noted. Disc height is markedly diminished.

At C7-T1 there is posterior bulging of the disc. No spinal stenosis is noted. Severe neuroforaminal narrowing is noted. There is loss of disc height.

Impression: Degenerative disc disease involving the cervical spine. Multilevel disc bulging with spinal and neuroforaminal stenoses at C3-C4, C5-C6 and C6-C7. Neuroforaminal narrowing at the other levels as described above. Partial straightening of the cervical spine which may be secondary to muscle spasm.