A shoulder that has repeatedly dislocated or feels as though it slips when the arm is raised may need stabilisation surgery. The choice depends on bone, supporting tissues, activity, and previous treatment. This guide explains soft-tissue repair and bony reconstruction to help preparation and return to daily life. Timings and restrictions for bony reconstruction using the Latarjet procedure are identified by name in the answers; repair of the tissue ring at the rim of the shoulder socket (labrum) may follow a different programme.
🦴 What is recurrent shoulder dislocation, and when does it need surgery?
The rounded humeral head moves in the relatively shallow socket of the shoulder blade. The tissue ring at its rim, or labrum, the surrounding capsule, ligaments, and muscles help hold the head in place. With instability, this system cannot keep the joint stable in some positions. Complete dislocation or a slipping sensation and apprehension during movement are forms of the problem.
After forward dislocation, the front labrum and ligaments may detach from their attachment, a Bankart lesion. Bone contact may damage the socket rim or create a humeral-head indentation, a Hill–Sachs lesion. This indentation contributes to instability in some positions. Neither imaging finding alone determines the operation.
Physiotherapy, better muscle control, and activity modification have a place for many patients. Surgery is not needed for everyone; general laxity or instability without clear injury needs a different assessment. Repeated dislocation, instability despite appropriate treatment, contact sport, or significant bone injury increase the need to consider surgery. The plan should address your cause of instability.
This clinic does not explain soft-tissue repair versus bony reconstruction using a fixed percentage or score. Examination, dislocation and failed-treatment history, sport or work, and imaging are considered together. Labral repair may suit an adequate bony rim and a mainly soft-tissue problem. Significant bone deficiency or some high-risk patterns lead to consideration of Latarjet or another reconstruction.
⏳ What happens if you do not have surgery?
Choosing not to have surgery does not make another dislocation inevitable; some patients gain good control with physiotherapy and activity changes. Repeated dislocations can cause further bone and supporting-tissue damage. Do not continue an activity that makes the shoulder slip or feel as though it is coming out to test its strength.
Repeated instability may change later surgery; for example, soft-tissue repair alone may be insufficient after bone loss. This outcome is not inevitable, and risk varies with injury pattern and activity. Assessment aims to choose a suitable method before further injury, rather than frighten you into surgery.
A fresh dislocation, severe pain, or obvious deformity needs urgent treatment; do not relocate the shoulder yourself. A cold, numb, or weak hand after injury also needs urgent assessment. Outward or external rotation means the upper arm turns outwards at the shoulder joint; turning the palm alone is not this movement. Between visits, avoid raising the arm while turning it outwards when this causes instability. Planned surgery follows careful review of causes and options.
🏋️ Preparing for surgery
Before surgery, the aim is comfortable movement and general preparation; do not take the shoulder to its end range or dislocation position. Movement should cause no sharp pain, slipping, or clear apprehension of the joint coming out. Evidence on exercise before shoulder replacement does not apply to stabilisation surgery and is not used to promise faster rehabilitation.
During range-of-movement exercise, do not put the arm in a risky position or assist it forcefully. Heavy strengthening or end-range stretching does not replace gentle movement. Continue activities chosen at examination within comfort. After a fresh dislocation or instability with small movements, general exercise is no substitute for reassessment.
For the arm-support sling period, prepare front-opening clothing, accessible items, and help with shopping and housework. Try daily tasks with the unaffected hand, particularly if your dominant arm is being operated on. Support the elbow in bed and do not push on the operated hand to rise. Arrange transport and help at home beforehand.
Gentle shoulder pendulum (Gentle Pendulum)
The painful hanging arm moves gently with small body movements; the aim is comfortable mobility. Stop for sharp pain, slipping, or apprehension of the shoulder coming out.
More detailLess detail
Before you start: This preoperative exercise is suitable for a relocated shoulder after injury assessment. Place the unaffected hand on a firm table, bend slightly at the hips, and let the injured arm hang comfortably.
How to do it:
- Keep the unaffected hand on the stable table and maintain your balance.
- Move your body gently so the hanging arm makes small circles; do not actively lift the shoulder.
- Repeat in the other direction and stand up slowly.
Movement tips: Keep the palm facing forwards and movement within comfort. Do not hold your breath, hold a weight, raise the arm sideways, or rotate it outwards.
Amount, repetitions and progression: Perform 10 comfortable repetitions, twice a day. Larger circles or weights do not indicate progress.
Stop immediately if: Stop immediately for sharp pain, slipping, or apprehension of the shoulder coming out, and contact the clinic for assessment.
Common mistakes: Actively raising the arm, large circles, or weights are not the aim.
Easier version: If bending farther is difficult, bend less and make smaller movements; these should cause no pain or instability.
🏥 The day before surgery and the day of surgery
Most centres arrange admission, vital-sign checks and an IV line, an anaesthesia consultation and consent; the surgeon then marks the correct arm. Remind the team if this standard safety step has not happened. An anaesthetic injection around a nerve, or nerve block, is usually given before theatre. Stabilisation is a day-case operation with same-day discharge in many centres; an overnight stay is more likely after open surgery.
- Fasting: For healthy adults having scheduled, non-emergency surgery, allow at least 2 hours between the last clear liquid, such as water, and anaesthesia, 6 hours after a light meal, and at least 8 hours after fatty food or meat. Milk is not a clear liquid. Diabetes, delayed stomach emptying, and some medicines may change the plan; your anaesthetist’s written instructions take priority.
- Medicines: Bring a complete medicine list; any change or stopping a medicine requires prior agreement with the surgeon and anaesthesia team.
- Bathing: Shower the night before or on the morning of surgery according to hospital instructions. Do not shave the armpit or shoulder with a razor; small cuts can provide an entry point for infection.
- Bring: Identification and insurance documents, recent shoulder imaging, a medicine list, the sling if already provided, and a loose front-opening shirt that can be put on with one hand.
- Remove nail polish, rings, and your watch, and arrange a companion for surgery day and the first days at home.
⚕️ How is the operation performed?
General anaesthesia is usual; a nerve block may be added for pain relief. The anaesthetist explains its benefits and limits. Arm numbness is temporary; protect the hand from excessive pressure and heat until feeling returns. The duration of the nerve block's effect varies between patients.
During arthroscopic Bankart repair, the surgeon views the joint with a camera and narrow instruments. The labrum and front tissues are restored and secured with sutures attached to small bone anchors. The aim is to rebuild the front joint barrier and appropriate tension. Suitability depends on whether injury pattern and bone condition make soft-tissue repair reliable.
If the humeral-head indentation catches the socket rim in certain positions, labral repair alone may be insufficient. Remplissage attaches the posterior capsule and part of a tendon at the back of the shoulder into the indentation to reduce catching. It is usually added to Bankart repair and is not needed for every indentation. Possible outward-rotation loss is discussed before surgery, particularly for throwing athletes.
The usual Latarjet in this clinic is open surgery with two screws. The surgeon transfers part of the small projection at the front of the shoulder blade, the coracoid, and its attached tendon to the front of the socket. The bone completes the deficient surface and the tendon supports stability. The capsule is repaired at the end.
After Latarjet, soft tissues must heal and the bone must unite; less pain alone does not permit early sport or arm loading. An arthroscopic method exists, but this clinic’s usual method is open. The choice depends on your shoulder problem; a larger operation is not necessarily better.
After stabilisation and joint checks, incisions are closed and the dressing and sling applied. Consent covers infection, stiffness, recurrent dislocation, nerve injury, and, for Latarjet, bone-healing or screw problems. Both methods may help, with different risks and restrictions. Know the planned method and reason beforehand.
🗓️ Recovery at a glance
After this clinic’s open Latarjet, the sling is worn day and night, including sleep, for 4 weeks, and removed for hygiene, dressing, and specified exercises. The reference for zero is the upper arm at the side, the elbow bent, and the forearm (the part from elbow to wrist) pointing forwards; this description is not an exercise. Initial shoulder movement is protected: outward rotation is limited to zero degrees until week 5 and then progresses to 45 degrees. These figures concern Latarjet and are not a general Bankart-repair prescription.
Rehabilitation progresses from protecting the repair and prescribed movements to active movement, strength, and activity-specific work. Read the guide to care and rehabilitation after Latarjet for restrictions, exercises, and warning signs. After Bankart repair or remplissage, follow that operation’s programme; similar symptoms do not make programmes interchangeable.
🎯 Returning to everyday life: answers to 20 questions
1) How much pain will I have, and how long will it last?
For planning, a substantial reduction in pain and improvement in function are usually expected over about 3 months, and improvement may continue to 12 months. This does not mean severe or increasing pain is normal. Contact the clinic for assessment if pain is not controlled by your prescription or is worsening.
2) How many nights will I stay in hospital?
After open Latarjet, the usual stay in this clinic is one night. After arthroscopic repair, same-day discharge may be possible; admission depends on general health and the centre’s plan. Pain and nausea should be controlled before discharge, and you should have someone with you at home.
3) How long does arm numbness after a nerve block last?
After a shoulder nerve block, the hand may remain numb and heavy for hours, sometimes until the next day. Do not lean on it, and protect it from hot water and heated objects until feeling returns. Report numbness lasting longer than explained, or new weakness, to the anaesthesia and surgical teams.
4) How long should I wear the sling?
After Latarjet in this clinic, wear the sling day and night, including sleep, for 4 weeks. Remove it only for dressing, hygiene, and specified exercises. A reliable general Bankart-repair programme also uses a sling for around 4 weeks; associated or complex repairs may change the plan.
5) How should I sleep?
A semi-reclined position or lying on your back with elbow support may be more comfortable initially. After Latarjet, keep the sling on for sleep throughout the 4-week sling period. Do not let the unsupported arm fall behind the body or sleep on the operated shoulder.
6) When can I shower?
After Latarjet, showering may be possible from day 2 with a waterproof dressing and an extra plastic covering; keep the wound dry until the stitch visit. Have a helper and keep the arm within its permitted range. Change a wet, dirty, or loose dressing the same day, and report repeated wetting or drainage.
7) When are the stitches removed?
After Latarjet, stitches are assessed on days 10–14 and removed if the wound is ready. Absorbable stitches may not need removal. Timing and care after arthroscopic repair depend on wound condition and stitch type.
8) What can I do with the elbow, wrist, and fingers on that side?
Gentle unweighted finger, wrist, and elbow movement with arm support forms part of the early plan. After Latarjet, do not lift anything heavier than a cup with the operated hand for 6 weeks. Bearing weight on the palm, pushing yourself up from a chair, and resisted arm exercise, such as exercise with a weight or resistance band, are different from simple joint movement.
9) When does physiotherapy start, and how long does it continue?
After Latarjet, specified home exercises start from the beginning and in-person physiotherapy starts at the stitch visit on days 10–14 with a clinic referral. Active shoulder movement against gravity, such as raising the arm using that shoulder’s own muscles without help from the other hand or an aid, begins from week 6 within that stage’s movement limits. After Bankart repair, a general programme usually starts in-person physiotherapy 1–2 weeks after surgery; associated repair may alter timing. Allow about 6–9 months for the whole rehabilitation pathway; this does not mean continuous in-person sessions throughout. Sessions and home exercise are adjusted to progress.
10) Why is outward shoulder rotation limited in the first weeks?
Outward rotation strains the newly repaired front shoulder tissues and is initially limited. In the zero position, the upper arm is at the side, the elbow is bent, and the forearm, the part from elbow to wrist, points forwards. In this position, the upper arm turning at the shoulder joint moves the forearm outwards; turning the palm alone is not this movement. After Latarjet in this clinic, the limit is zero degrees until week 5 and then 45 degrees. This description helps you recognise the limit, rather than start a new exercise; active shoulder movement against gravity, such as raising the arm using that shoulder’s own muscles without help from the other hand or an aid, begins from week 6 within that stage’s movement limits. Do not force the shoulder beyond the stage limit; labral-repair restrictions follow that operation’s programme.
11) When can I drive?
After Latarjet, driving is considered after the end of week 8. You should be out of the sling, take no codeine, oxycodone, or alprazolam, and be able to control the car in an emergency. A general Bankart-repair programme considers driving around 6–8 weeks, without a sling and with adequate vehicle control; associated repair may change the timing. Do not drive while wearing a sling.
12) When can I return to desk work?
After Latarjet, desk work is considered from around 2 weeks if pain is manageable and the environment suitable. Keep items within reach of the unaffected hand and support the operated arm. Returning to a desk does not permit lifting loads or reaching overhead shelves.
13) What about heavy or overhead work?
Heavy work after Latarjet usually takes 4–6 months. Movement, strength, and the ability to perform the job without pain or instability must be adequate. After arthroscopic Bankart repair, heavy and overhead work is also usually avoided for around 4–6 months; strength, movement, and actual work ability must be sufficient. Overhead work is different from seated work.
14) How should I pray?
After Latarjet, pray seated through the end of week 6. From week 7, prostration may be considered with more weight on the unaffected hand; do not suddenly load the operated hand when rising. Follow your operation’s movement restrictions and ask your religious authority about permissible alternatives.
15) When can I resume sexual activity?
For conservative planning after Latarjet, wait about 6 weeks; then resume only if the wound is closed, pain controlled, and a position without shoulder pressure, weight bearing, or stretching is possible. This conservative timing is not automatic clearance. Do not move the arm away from the body and rotate it outwards together, or bear body weight through the palm. The operation’s stage restrictions still apply; stop for pain or instability.
16) When can I travel or fly?
For optional travel, it is preferable to plan flights after the first 6 weeks; flights during that period require assessment beforehand. Wound condition, pain, and clot risk should still be suitable afterward; reaching the date does not guarantee safety. On short journeys, support your arm and keep the sling on if you are still within its prescribed period of use. Move luggage with the unaffected hand or a helper, and do not use the operated arm for overhead compartments.
17) When can I start light exercise such as walking, running, or stationary cycling?
Gentle walking on a safe route with the sling may be possible in the first days. For conservative planning after this clinic’s Latarjet, start gentle running and stationary cycling without leaning or pressure on the hand after the end of week 8, with a closed wound, controlled pain, and suitable movement. A general Bankart programme considers these activities during weeks 4–8 with the same conditions. Do not start outdoor cycling or activities involving fall risk or hand support merely because pain has decreased. Swimming after Latarjet may be possible from 4 months with adequate strength and movement.
18) When can I return to specialised and contact sport?
The earliest return to contact sport after Latarjet is 6 months, with adequate strength and range of movement. Throwing sport also requires assessment of movement control and absence of pain and instability. Judge labral repair or remplissage timing against the relevant programme; a date alone is not clearance for competition.
19) Can the shoulder dislocate again after surgery?
Yes, another dislocation remains possible after either method. Appropriate procedure selection, following early restrictions, and complete rehabilitation help reduce risk but do not guarantee the result. Pain with slipping or a fresh dislocation needs assessment.
20) Do Latarjet screws stay for life, and can they affect imaging or airport screening?
Latarjet screws usually remain in place; removal is considered only for circumstances such as related pain or a screw problem. Tell the imaging centre about them before MRI so compatibility and conditions can be checked. Carry documentation of the operation when travelling; screening-device responses are not identical for everyone.
✅ Your next step
Shoulder stabilisation should address soft-tissue injury, bone condition, and your activity needs. Physiotherapy has a place for suitable patients, and surgery does not guarantee the result. Clarify why Bankart repair, remplissage, or Latarjet is chosen, and prepare for home help and the sling. Safe return to work and sport depends on healing and function, rather than less pain alone.
To discuss treatment options and prepare for surgery, call Dr Jalil Emad’s clinic on 0913 782 5207, or book an appointment online.
Read more about treatment methods on this page: Shoulder stabilisation (Latarjet and labral repair).
Related guides: Post-operative care and rehabilitation: Latarjet Shoulder Surgery: Postoperative Care and Rehabilitation · Service page: Shoulder & Elbow Surgery · Also related: Arthroscopic repair of the tendons around the head of the upper arm bone (rotator cuff): postoperative care and rehabilitation
This guide is for your education and preparation. Treatment is chosen after an examination, review of imaging, and discussion of your circumstances and goals.
📚 Scientific references
View scientific references
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- Modified Latarjet with or without remplissage for recurrent anterior shoulder instability: a prospective randomized trial · JSES international · 2026 · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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