u/youngpeezy

Background:

• 30s Male, active in sports like snowboarding, biking, running. Gym sometimes. Play piano.
• Tore labrum in dominant arm 15+ years ago. History of subluxating when arm above head at high speed (overhead tennis shots, swimming aggressively, snowboard falls). Subluxating happens in waves (usually easily the week or two after a major subluxation. Then quiet for months)
• I have gone through waves of thinking about treatment. Done some PT. My shoulder is definitely more stable than it was 10 yrs ago. Overall it is not an injury I think about everyday like some posts I see here. It does affect my confidence in some sports.
• Recent MRI shows I have critical (25-30%) glenoid loss indicating I am a good candidate for latarjet or a bone block. In this case my surgeon recommends DTA.

I have not subluxated my shoulder in at least 6 months (1 yr since a major painful subluxation. I haven't had a real "dislocation" in years).

I currently live in a ski town— a place I don't expect to live my whole life —but happens to have some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the world here (Steadman clinic, the US winter olympic team's doctors). My surgeon is credited with developing this procedure.

I also currently have really great health insurance through my job ($500 deductible). It is an industry going through layoffs and given that risk, I decided to get some MRIs and CTs (I hadn't done this in 10 yrs, despite some intermittent PT), hence the renewed effort to seek surgery.

I'm really debating getting the surgery now that it is scheduled a month from now. I am worried about going through recovery for the months it will take and the pain that may ensue (I broke a collar bone a few years ago and the pain after that surgery was miserable. I'm worried this will be worse).

I am actually getting a more minor surgery on my wrist on the same arm next week, I thought it would make sense to combine the recoveries, but it is another complexity I'm adding to the process.

I know my glenoid loss is considered quite significant, but it doesn't really give me the same problems it seems like others have with that sort of bone loss. I do want to feel more confident in some sports I play and not risk further subluxation (which is quite painful), but it really doesn't affect my daily life or most of the lower body-focused sports I do. I know it has the potential to get worse in the future when I'm older. I hate the idea of being immobile/weak all summer and difficulty sleeping when I feel like I am otherwise at a really good level of fitness in my life.

Has anyone been in a similar position or have any insight to help inform my decision to proceed with the surgery?