That's why I'm not a doctor I guess

As a professional doctor and surgeon (which I am not) concerned with the recovery as much as the outcome to any procedure performed on one of my fine patients, if there was an instance where I was required to filet open and fuse/splice/whatever nerves in the spinal column located within the neck, my initial route of action would probably BE the neck.

Not going in through the mouth.

Going in through the mouth would not be unlike attempting to repair a defect in the driver side tire of a car via torching a hole through the engine block.

Ockham's Razor.  Keep the cutting clean, please.