GARY Ablett has chosen a different surgical path this time around – one the Suns skipper hopes will make his troublesome left shoulder stronger than ever.

After consulting two specialists in Melbourne last week, Ablett decided on the invasive latarjet surgery, which he successfully underwent on Wednesday.

"Indications from surgeon Greg Hoy is that he was pleased with the surgery," Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft said.

When he first dislocated the shoulder in 2014, the dual-Brownlow medallist opted for keyhole surgery.

However, now with a second dislocation, latarjet is considered the stronger chance of long-term success.

So what is it?

Essentially Ablett had a piece of bone and muscle removed from elsewhere in his shoulder and screwed to the front of the joint, acting as a block to stop it from dislocating again.

The procedure is initially quite painful, but Ablett is expected to be capable of resuming training again within three to four months, which will be early in the pre-season.