Thanks for query,

You are young just 45 years and have not mentioned any major medical illness.
Your MRI image shows obvious compression at C4 and C5 and you have obvious symptoms. I assure you that I do not see any such thing like death. However if you delay your genuinely indicated surgery the difficulty of surgery may increase more importantly benefits of surgery decrease. Since the medication or conservative therapies would not benefit at this stage please go ahead. This is commonly done surgery and almost all of my patients derived benefits after the surgery. They were scared as you were but now they thank often. I am sure your operating surgeon would have safe hands.

I do not say that in surgery absolute 100% safety is guaranteed but delaying will increase problems. It is a calculated risk and such surgeries are very safe in expert hands.

Best wishes.

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As a surgeon practicing quite far away from your place, I do not have any reference. I am sorry, I might not be of any help in this regards. However, the only thing I advice is to select a surgeon who is doing cervical spine surgery regularly.

Let me know if you need further clarifications.

Regards

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