So I seriously dislocated my shoulder 3 months ago during BJJ, with two earlier partial dislocations 6 months prior. Got taken to the hospital, etc, been to physio for recovery, no BJJ since.

I got the MRI results back on my shoulder yesterday, torn anterior labrum (typical for dislocations). Me and the doctor had a talk about the fact that my shoulder still feels loose a lot, sometimes when throwing punches in MT, other times when i'm just leaning against a wall with my bad shoulder and that being a sign of continued instability in the region, and a potential for future dislocations.

He said arthroscopic bankart repair surgery stands a good chance of fixing me up, but... I'm a little hesitant about surgery in general. Though they've told me this will be a minimally invasive procedure, surgery always has its complications, and I was always told to avoid it unless really necessary.

I mean, I'm not a professional athlete, I don't make my living this way. I could theoretically just give up any sports that threaten the shoulder and be careful for the rest of my life.

The other option being to go through more physio, and develop up my rotator cuff muscles to act as secondary shoulder stabilizers since I no longer have a primary one (that anterior labrum thingy).

Still, the thought of having full stability in my shoulder is a tempting one.

Has anybody else been in this situation before? What are your thoughts. Just want multiple opinions to help me decide.

There's a close to 100% certainty your shoulder will continue to dislocate, and that it will continue to get easier to dislocate. Building up strength will ultimately be of some benefit but once it gets in the wrong position (and let's face it BJJ is all about getting it in the wrong position) it'll go. Even quitting martial arts is no guarantee it won't go out again.

That said, the recovery from surgery is long and sometimes painful and requires a lot of commitment on your part to regain the strength and mobility in your shoulder.

I put off back surgery for a LONG time. I did not realize how much pain that you can rationalize away. I was limping and could no longer go up on my toes on my left leg. The calf was shrinking. And I would think: "it's not that bad"....

Then it really got bad. I had the surgery 10-07, and it was the best thing I ever did!

I understand the desire to aviod it, but if it is hampering quality of life, it is worth correcting.

I got the surgery when I was 16 (popped the shoulder at a wrestling tournament). Since then, grappling and boxing have given it the most trouble, while lifting hasn't bothered it at all, which ultimately led to my switch in focus from boxing to powerlifting. The problem with combat sports is that you're not in control of all the variables, and you'll ultimately get partnered up with some jackass who refuses to acknowledge the tap that will set back months of progress in the span of a few seconds.