Thanks, @shirleyhibb26. While my surgery date is still a few months away, it's certainly a mind-game as the date approaches.

@odder13, my neurosurgeon (not an orthopedic for me) will be doing the vascular component himself because my abdominal aorta (and the vena cava) bifurcates above L5-S1, so will not be in the way. Typical anatomy has the aorta bifurcating at the L4-L5 juncture, so that's a greater need for a vascular surgeon being in attendence.