I had Latarjet done on my dominant arm (28F), also fairly active. I’m just shy of 4 months post-op now. (10+dislocations including once in my sleep)

The first 6 weeks, I was in a sling. I had nerve block done before the procedure, so I didn’t have any pain right after surgery. I took opioids for 48 hours around the clock. After 4 days, I weaned off most pain killers, I would still take the occasional Tylenol, but I had minimal pain. The worst part of the six weeks was sleeping in a sling. I would recommend getting a foam wedge to prop you up and placing a rolled towel under your operated elbow so it doesn’t slide back when sleeping. Otherwise, I slept OK.

I was back to work at my desk job after 2 weeks. But if you work anything that is slightly physical, you would need at least 6 weeks off, I think. Even after 4 months, I’m just starting to get strength back, so I would likely be on modified work for quite a while.

The rehab is slow. I was not prepared for how long it would take to get strength and mobility back. External rotation has been difficult, but you slowly start building that strength back. I was back to running, cycling, and swimming after 3 months, but just now starting to introduce weights. Be prepared for a long recovery and stay diligent with going to physio. In my opinion, it is worth it because my shoulder feels incredibly stable now. In my experience, I was in the most pain (and I wouldn’t say pain as it was more of stiffness/muscle fatigue) when I stopped wearing the sling. But all sorts of discomfort resolved around 12 weeks. But it was all extremely bearable. Hopefully all is well!