Advice on neck (cervical) pain/surgery

[Kim]

Hi, I am a new member...Bill Harsy said this is a good place to ask questions and get great feedback. Thanks in advance for your help and time...its much appeciated.

I had an MRI 10/5/04 which said in part: At C5-6, there is a moderate to marked broad-based protrusion of the intervertebral disc with hypertrophic changes along the body margins and uncovertebral joints particularly on the right. There is severe compression of the anterior spinal cord. Marked narrowing of the right neual foramen is noted.

At C6-7, there is a moderate broad-based protrusion of the intervertebral disc with hypertrophic changes along the body margins as well as the uncovertebral joints particularly on teh right. There is a moderately severe compression of the anterior spinal cord as well as marked narrowing of the right neural foramen.

There is some linear increased signal intensity of the anterior spinal cord adjacent to C5-6-7 which may suggest cord edema or myelomalacia. High signal intensity at the adjacent end-plates of C6-7 represent degenerative changes.

There is a loss of signal intensity throughout the cervical intervertebral discs.

On good days the pain is central (base of the neck). Bad days it radiates down the right scapula, down my right arm/hand. Sometimes it radiates up the neck and around the jaw/head.

I have gone through the conservative treatments...pt and 2 cervical injections, one in C5-6 and the other in C6-7. I was scheduled for a level 2 Anterior Cervical Discetomy and Fusion...then decided to get a second, and maybe third opinion.

What are some good questions to ask during my consultation? What are the top neurosurgical medical universities these specialists are trained? Portland OR is a relatively small city...there are only a handful of neurosurgens. The first neuro I went to, was not interested in taking the time to answer my questions.