Michael
Paul, I recently had the same surgery and I was very scared going into it because it seemed serious and complex. The good news is that the recovery is very easy. I woke up with no pain, no swelling and except for a few uncomfortable nights right after surgery, I was fine. You probably have to wear a neck collar for a while, but after a week or so, you get used to it. For such major surgery, it wasn't hard to deal with and it seems miraculous the way the syptoms disappear.