Has anyone had experiences with XLIF? Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion

I have degenerative disc disease in L4 -L5. This is due to previous discectomy/laminectomy surgery. I have Bertollotis syndrome (probably not spelling this right) which has set me up for all my surgery and lumbar spine issues. Now I have spondylitis some stenosis and a mild degenerative L3 disc. I’ve done most of the conservative PT, acupuncture and massage I can do. I could try ablation or ReActiv8. Not sure if these will work, since I have multiple problems. I’ve been told, by my PT, that my muscles are strong and the ReActiv8 won’t help that much. I am very active, healthy and was strong. I taught fitness classes up until January of 2026 and then had to quit because of increasing back pain. I didn’t have this pain a year ago, or it was mild and didn’t last. I’m 53 and now being told by the surgeon that he would do XLIF on L3-L5. I’m really scared and I don’t believe this is the only option for L3. I’ve asked if we could preserve L3 with a prosthetic disc. He said it won’t work. I have another appointment to ask about Coflex. I’m concerned that if I get L3-5 fused it will be a rough recovery, no guarantees for pain elimination and I will need future surgery because discs above L3 will start to go. From my research and from other people’s experiences I’ve heard, it seems fusion is a gamble. These are only my experiences,
If anyone has any better information or experiences I would really appreciate it!