Cervical disk surgery may be inevitable. How do I find the right surgeon?

I have 2 herniated disks (C5-C7) that are squashing my spinal cord. Epidural injections helped the worst of it while I was mostly sedentary, but now that I've discovered something that helps with the chronic fatigue (yay, methylfolate!), my spine issues are so much worse. I can barely feel anything more than pressure in my left arm, I'm getting weird, random cramps all over the place, my tinnitus is so much worse than normal, and a bunch of other issues. Pain management place is going to hit me with another epidural to try to get by while we figure out other things, but they said it's time to consider surgical options.

Honestly, I'm terrified. I lost a cousin to this exact surgery because they nicked her esophagus and she got sepsis. Plus the only other real surgery I've ever had (nasal turbinate ablation) was such brutal pain for 6 weeks that I disassociated and started hallucinating.

If I have to go through with this, I want someone experienced in EDS patients. What's the best way to find and vet an orthopedic surgeon in the US? Local to AZ would be ideal, but I'm privileged enough to be able to travel if that's what it takes to ensure I get someone good.

Also, if anyone has had this surgery (disk replacement, fusion, or just trim the bulge off the disk), please share your experience. I'm especially interested to know what recovery immediately after the surgery is like.