@livininthestix I'm glad you are being proactive about your health. My surgeon at Mayo Rochester was Jeremy Fogelson. He is a neurosurgeon also with orthopedic fellowship deformity training and also experienced with cervical fusion and artificial discs as well as solving very complex spine deformities. He is an excellent surgeon and I recommend him highly. I had a fusion of C5/C6 done without hardware and stayed in a neck brace until fused. That was my request to avoid foreign materials and metals that my body doesn't seem to like. That was my only spine surgery, and it has been 10 years. No other levels are affected. I do stretch out any tight muscles to maintain better spine alignment. If you apply to Mayo, you can request that he will review your case.