Yes, it is certainly important we do our homework on the proposed procedure. There was a far more complex procedure that we both considered but rejected with more information. The odds of a lateral release "working" isn't 100%, but it does seem appropriate in my case. I can still opt for "just" the scoping on the day, but I probably won't do that. More research and less reading of other's detailed bad experiences... My Ortho isn't painting a beautiful picture of how miraculous it might be and that actually increases my confidence in his work (neither is he focusing on how bad it will be). Some surgeries, like the scoping, have pretty predictable results, others are highly variable and the lateral release is one of those. So much depends on how our body is put together, our Q angle, just so much. Apparently just being female increases the complexities of dealing with an unstable/deranged patella.

*added: "deranged" patella...hmmm, it certainly does act like that from time to time.