My husband is suffering from bone spurs that are inside his vertebrae.

My husband has two bone spurs blocking the opening in his vertebra where the 8th thoracic nerve enters the spinal vertebra.  The diameter of the opening was 7mm in 2003 when the last MRI was taken.  It is very small and the nerve is having difficulty entering the vertebra.  Since that nerve is the main harness of nerves that run to his upper body he is having symptoms of coughing, harsh voice, excruciating pain in his arm and between his shoulder blades and swelling of two of his fingers (especially the little finger of his right hand).  My husband's neurosurgeon will not operate on him because he doesn't want to risk the normal surgery (going through his neck ) because the bone spurs are so close to the 8th thoracic nerve.  His neurosurgeon said he feels that my husband would end up handicapped by the conventional surgery and he has urged my husband to wait until there are better techniques for getting rid of the bone spurs.  That advice was gven to my husband by a Victoria neurosurgeon in 2003.  We think that laser surgery would offer my husband relief from pain and less risk of becoming paralyzed.  The 8th thoracic nerve is so close to the bone spurs that conventional surgery is not safe.  My husband is at present taking 4mg of Hydromorphone every four hours for the pain.  He cannot lie down because the pain escalates to such a degree that he passes out and that is when he is on the drug hydromorphone.  What advice can you give us.  We are desperate for help.  Thank you.  Marlene Prescott