@dave130 My surgery was done by an orthopedic specialist in Oklahoma City.. a Spine surgeon..he is probably retired now.. it took 8 hours.. at Oklahoma Baptist Hospital.. I had also seen a Neurosurgeon but opted for the spine specialist.. it took a team.. Where will you have this done.. examine the entire team that will be cutting and pulling all those bones and tissue.. Where they get the bone to pack around the fusion should also be understood..
My hand and arm pain came later after the surgery ... a couple years.. but it was caused by Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.. that's the crazy bone in the elbow... that an arm surgeon had to move that nerve so it would not be stretched when bending my arm... My spine surgeon diagnosed it but he did not do arm surgery... He had given me epidurals to see if the pain was caused by cervical vertebrae .. the epidurals did not get rid of the pain... so it had to be something else.. ..and the Arm surgeon fixed it .. the Spine surgeon also prescribed a Cervical Traction device that I use ... down on the floor for 20 or 30 minutes where the device clamps around my neck and stretches me out for awhile.. relief.. Good Luck..