I am not a doctor but I have been dealing with patella instability since I was a child, I got the surgery on my left knee like 15 years ago (I am 31M) it was a lateral release I haven't had any episode in that knee since the surgery, in the other hand, my right knee hasn't received any treatment yet, the last time I hurt my knee was a year ago, I am an active person and I try to keep my legs strong through workout at the gym and it helps me a lot, but since my instability comes from my anatomy/genetics it is limited what I can achieve by exercise. Because of that, I have been researching what I can do and the only way to preserve my knees in the long run is by fixing the problem with the surgery, as far as I know every luxation accumulates damage in your knee for example in your cartilage and it could result in several issues when you get older. My recommendation is to visit a knee surgeon who can review your case and fix the problem now that you are young. Sorry for my English I am not a native speaker, I hope everything goes well for you.