I agree with your assessment of the difficulties in validating the info you are getting, but disagree about the ultimate data that will be produced. I've been living spine 24/7 for more than 10 years. For last 8 years, I've been attending the surgeons conferences and spending a lot of time with many of the greatest surgeons in the world. I see something of a disconnect between the data that is presented and the real-world experience. Most data is generated based on an agenda and is often 'spun' in a way that presents their agenda. Note that many of the negative studies also are also based on an agenda and many of them are not to be believed.
You are doing the right thing by getting as much info as possible about all your options. Sadly, your options will be somewhat limited by your situation. Hang in there... you'll know when it's time to decide.
All the best,
Mark
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