Ered - if the surgery is going to be the most successful option, it's definitely worth considering. It's not as if you're having experimental surgery or they aren't sure what's wrong. And from what I read about a microdiscectomy, it was pretty much the first step in what they had to do for my back after I wrecked - remove a piece of bone that was impinging on the nerves. ta-da, remove the source of the pain!

It sounds like a pretty reasonable cause and effect to me. And while recovering from surgery might suck for a few weeks, it's a lot better than having your quality of life suck for an indefinite amount of time. (plus muscle pain from the surgery is much easier to deal with than nerve pain, for sure)

Not trying to persuade you one way or the other, but you've definitely explored other options - no one is going to accuse you of being scalpel-happy.

Good luck, I hope you're doing better! (And I need to check the other thread to see how your bike search is going, I'm halfway looking for a road bike that I can put up with, too)