When do you need surgery for multiple patellar dislocations?

I created the Active Life Orthopedics Guides to help the people I can't see in my practice — practical guidance on recovering from orthopedic injuries and conditions — from a triple-board certified orthopedic surgeon — so you can get back to the active life you love. New titles releasing throughout 2026. 📚 Explore the series: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-David-Geier/author/B00HXJ9FUM If you suffer an injury, you might try rest and physical therapy to recover and get back to sports. If that injury keeps happening, when should you consider surgery? In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I discuss the decision to pursue surgery for multiple patellar dislocations. Please note: I don't respond to questions and requests for specific medical advice left in the comments to my videos. I receive too many to keep up (several hundred per week), and legally I can't offer specific medical advice to people who aren't my patients (see below). If you want to ask a question about a specific injury you have, leave it in the comments below, and I might answer it in an upcoming Ask Dr. Geier video. If you need more detailed information on your injury, go to my Resources page: https://www.drdavidgeier.com/resources/ The content of this YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/user/drdavidgeier (“Channel”) is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The Channel may offer health, fitness, nutritional and other such information, but such information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. This content should not be used to self-diagnose or self-treat any health, medical, or physical condition. The content does not and is not intended to convey medical advice and does not constitute the practice of medicine. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR DOES IT REPLACE, PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. You should consult with your healthcare professional before doing anything contained on this Channel. You agree that Dr. Geier is not responsible for any actions or inaction on your part based on the information that is presented on the Channel. Dr. David Geier Enterprises, LLC makes no representations about the accuracy or suitability of the content. USE OF THE CONTENT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Kiah asks: I am a 14-year-old female. I dislocated my patella in mid-April playing soccer. I rehabbed for 6 weeks, playing on and off throughout that time, and played in a big soccer tournament at the end of May. 3 days later, my swim season started. I swam for almost 2 months, with my patella subluxing every other day or so. I tried physical therapy, a brace, and tape and nothing could get my knee cap to stop sliding. By the end of August, I had subluxed almost 50 times. In the beginning of September, I started playing volleyball and soccer again and kept subluxing. Last week, I dislocated again, and now we are discussing options again. I really want to be able to play soccer this spring. The options I was given were rest, brace, ice or surgery. For most patients, the treatment for a first-time patellar dislocation or subluxation involves physical therapy and sometimes a patellar stabilization brace. For a large percentage of patients, that non-surgical treatment works. What do you do if your kneecap keeps dislocating or subluxing? In this video, I discuss treatment, including surgery, for multiple patellar dislocations and subluxations. What does surgery involve? When can you return to sports and exercise after surgery? If you have suffered multiple patellar dislocations, watch this video to learn more about what you can do to overcome this problem.