You've got 24 discs to act as shock absorbers. (Justin HAD 25)
If you remove a few of them, you still have 24 minus a few.
There are risks involved in all sports. If you've never been on the snow, you might want to have to get through the pain of the learning curve. If you are already a skier, it should be safe to ski within your range. (Understanding that you can be standing in the lift line and get clobbered by an out of control snowboarder (sorry if you are a snowboarder... I couldn't resist.)
It's up to you. I think the risks are pretty similar with the discs... except that most of us with some problems that have been fixed, still have other problems in our spine.
I skied black diamonds 4 months after my 2-level Charite. (OK... only Bear Mountain black diamonds... not too extreme!)
Mark
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