What does recovery look like after rotator cuff repair surgery?

Rotator cuff repair reattaches a torn tendon to the bone and holds it there so it can heal back in. The recovery has a set rhythm that comes from how long a tendon takes to heal: six weeks in a sling, six weeks of working the stiffness out, strengthening from three months, and a full recovery at about six months. Most patients are doing everything they want to do by four months. The roadmap below walks through each stage. If you have already had surgery, enter your surgery date and it will show you which stage you are in and what comes next.

The roadmap covers a standard repair and a massive repair (three or four tendons, or a revision), which starts more slowly, and it explains what changes if your biceps tendon was moved at the same time. It also answers the practical questions: sleeping, showering, driving, work, and when you can lift and golf again.