Apache,
Please let me add my welcome to this forum.
In my adr research, I discovered that fusion can be the cause for future degeneration of adjacent discs which bear the burden of the fused disc. Everyone is different and this is something that your son should discuss with his doctors while his options are still open.
I also had 2 discectomies from the back prior to my adr surgery. Surgically speaking, healing from the front was quicker than from the back.
Dr. Bertagnoli did my adr surgery in Germany. No on didn't want to go there more than I. I found every excuse I could think of not to go but the final straw was my insurance company's refusal to pay for the surgery. Finances forced my decision to go to Germany. All of my fears and what-if scenarios were unfounded. I was proven wrong. The language barrior is not an issue and the expertise of both Drs. B and Z is unparalleled in the US.
No doctor can guarantee any outcome but choosing both the procedure and doctor carefully should be part of your son's decision making process. I didn't choose carefully our of fear of surgery in a foreign country, flying over there and back, and a host of other concerns. The flights weren't pleasant but that's the only negative I experienced. The medical care I received in Germany was better than I received in the US and though I still want to be reimbursed by my insurance company, I have to say it was money well spent.
Good luck to you and your son. I wish you good fortune.
Dale
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