@squidalltheway - I’m very happy to learn you have gotten an appt w/ Dr. Costantino next month. The timeline from initial consult to surgery will depend somewhat on whether he wants additional imaging. You could try calling his office to see if they can give you an idea whether there’s other imaging he would want or prefer. Once you have your initial consult, & imaging is sorted out, it’ll possibly be another couple of months before surgery, but it could be less than that. Make sure to request to be put on his surgery cancellation list when you set up your surgery date.
I’m sorry but reading MRIs is not my forté, so I have no comments on your MRI images. I only have basic knowledge of structures in sagittal & anterior/posterior images of CT scans, & axial slices at the level of C1. I also don’t have knowledge of what CCI/AAI looks like in imaging, but I know that an upright MRI w/ a particular neck position protocol to diagnose CCI/AAI is what’s most helpful.
I annotated what I see in one of the x-ray images you posted which may or may not be helpful. You have lost the lordotic curve in your cervical spine which is the case with many of us. That can serve to bring the styloids closer to nerves & blood vessels in the neck. Restoring the curve is possible w/ gentle PT exercises but it takes patience & time. Here’s a link to a post w/ lots of good information to help with that though sometimes it can be better to wait to begin until after the styloids & IJV compression have been dealt with.
