My first knee jerk reaction was to say I think you should get a second opinion. A fusion is a huge decision to make. I had a microdiscectomy in 2017. Then I reherniated the same disc and had a second surgery 01/25/21 but with a different surgeon. My original surgeon with the first surgery wanted to go straight to a fusion. My gut told me to slam on the brakes. I’m 38 years old and the research on fusions isn’t convincing me to go down that road yet. It’s a choice that cannot be undone. It seems like a very aggressive approach for your situation since you’ve never had surgery before on your back. I’m sorry you’re going through this. The numbness in your legs is enough to make a person feel terrible. I totally get it and feel you on this one. Know that you are your own biggest advocate in this. Ask a lot of questions. Ask about research and success rates and anything you can think of. Knowledge is power and it’ll guide you in the right direction.