I know it's a stressful process. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Just to let you know a few details... The surgery took about 4 hours from the time they took DH in until they took him to the recovery area. He had three neurosurgeons working on him at one time (also several nurses, a couple people from anesthesia... like a total of about 12 people in the OR). He has a scar that's about 4-5 inches long.
One of the best things I bought for DH's recovery were several sets of jammies that had button plackets on the shirts (so they could easily slide over his head). I think they were Hanes (with matching shirts and loungepants) and I got them in the Men's section at
Walmart. Once DH was recovered, I stole them and have been wearing them at night.
The surgery itself went very well. DH's problems weren't due to any direct issue with the surgery but with having work done near the nausea centers of his brain, having reactions to the pain meds, and then having irritation (possibly a reaction to the adhesives used). Standard recovery times for the decompression surgery without any issues were quoted as 2-3 days in the hospital and about 3 weeks at home.
We're in CT. Between travelling in for consultations ahead of time, travelling for the surgery (I commuted in to NYC each day to see DH), and post-op appointments, travel costs can get a little high. Keep your receipts... Your medical expenses (including travel) may be tax deductible for any portion that exceeds 7.5% of your AGI.
When we consulted with the different neurosurgeons, we found the other two were happy to perform the procedure right away. Dr. Wisoff was much more conservative and wanted to rule out other causes of some of DH's symptoms before he performed the surgery. He was also much more experienced than some of the other surgeons available at other hospitals. It sounds like you're doing a good job with your research before having surgery.
Like I said, feel free to ask if you've got any questions. Although, different people can have far different symptoms and severity with their Chiari and far different experiences with their surgery, it does help to have someone who's been there/done that.
Good Luck!