I would get at least three different opinions; see at least three different surgeons first no matter how good the one referral might be.

It can be somewhat difficult to get appointments with the better ones, because the more successful they are the less their team may want to be bothered scheduling appointments that are not definitely going to result in their getting to perform surgery. Be pushy, get appointments with good surgeons -- preferably ones who perform it consistently, who work out of hospital facilities, because their interest in your case once they get in the room with you has a better chance of being less self-motivated (i.e., they're not as much chomping at the bit for surgical opportunities).

When I cancelled my last scheduled surgery, it was because although I had been told by more than one surgeon that I should have it done, the very last one I saw (who was the most famous among them and the hardest to get an appointment with, hence by the time I got to see him I was actually pencilled in for surgery already) spent a shocking entire hour with me, because despite the horrendous condition of my spine he was absolutely adamant in wanting to make sure I understood that I should delay getting any surgery for as long as I could possibly still stand the discomfort (it's painful but I'm at 5 years now since seeing him), due to the fact that what they can do for me surgically is temporary at best -- the problems I have will return as a matter of course because of the underlying conditions I have, and my ability to withstand additional surgeries decades further into my aging process will be decreased each time. Despite the fact that I had great insurance and was totally open to getting surgery he was the only one of the surgeons I saw who was truly adamant about his diagnosis for me, even though just like the others the way he makes the big bucks is by cutting and he was telling me not to. That contrast was not lost on me, and I'm so glad I pushed for that appointment, included him in my process as late as it was.

The ironic thing is that people's judgement about my not getting the surgery tends to be that I must not have really needed it, or that I chickened out. Neither could be further from the truth. In my heart of hearts I'd really rather have had the hopefulness of surgery because at least it would have meant I had a chance of experiencing change with my painfully awful wreck of a spine and all it affects, but I could tell it was not the right thing because ultimately it was obvious which doctor was giving me the real skinny on my particular situation. The comparisons can be pretty helpful.