Shoulder Replacement Recovery: Week by Week

What recovery from shoulder replacement actually involves

Shoulder replacement removes the damaged surfaces of the shoulder joint and replaces them with artificial components: the ball, the socket, or both. It is performed under general anaesthesia, usually takes 1.5 to 3 hours, and is followed by a hospital stay of 2 to 4 nights. The aim is to relieve pain, restore movement and improve daily function when arthritis, fracture or rotator cuff failure no longer responds to medication, injections or physiotherapy. A detailed description of the operation itself is on the shoulder replacement procedure page, which this guide is written to accompany. At Acibadem the procedure is carried out by the Orthopedics & Joint Center.

Recovery is not a single event but a gradual process that typically progresses over 3 to 6 months. In the early weeks the arm is often supported in a sling while the tissues around the new joint heal; guided exercises then restore motion first and strength later. Pain control, wound care, follow-up visits and a structured physiotherapy programme are the main pillars of recovery. The timeline below describes what most people experience, but every patient, every shoulder and every implant is different. Your surgeon’s instructions always take precedence over any general timeline.

Recovery timeline week by week

The first 48 hours

• Pain: Pain is usually most noticeable in the first two days. It is controlled with a combination of medicines given by the ward team; some patients also have a regional nerve block that keeps the arm numb for several hours after surgery.
• Movement and lifting: The arm rests in a sling. A physiotherapist usually shows you gentle hand, wrist and elbow movements on the first day. Most people are walking on the ward within a day of surgery. Do not lift anything with the operated arm.
• Wound and dressing: A sterile dressing covers the incision. The ward team checks it and changes it if needed.
• Eating and drinking: Sips of water usually begin once you are fully awake, with a light meal the same evening or the next morning.
• Washing: Bed-side washing with help; the dressing stays dry.
• Sleeping: Many people find a semi-reclined position with pillows behind the back and under the elbow more comfortable than lying flat.
• Driving, work and sport: Not applicable at this stage.

Week 1

• Pain: Usually easing day by day. Most people go home on oral pain medicine taken to a schedule, then gradually reduce it as advised.
• Movement and lifting: The sling is worn most of the time, including at night if your surgeon asks. Guided passive exercises, where the therapist or your other arm moves the shoulder, typically begin. Nothing heavier than a cup should be held in the operated hand.
• Wound and dressing: Keep the dressing clean and dry. You will be told whether your closure uses dissolving sutures, removable stitches or clips, and when they come out, usually around 10 to 14 days.
• Eating and drinking: Normal diet. Drinking enough fluid helps with recovery and with constipation from pain medicine.
• Washing: Showering is usually allowed once the team confirms the dressing is waterproof or can be protected; avoid soaking the wound.
• Sleeping: Semi-reclined or on the non-operated side with a pillow supporting the operated arm.
• Driving: Not permitted while wearing a sling or taking strong pain medicine.

Week 2

• Pain: Most people are down to simple painkillers, with extra medicine before exercise sessions if needed.
• Movement and lifting: Sling still worn outside the home; some surgeons allow it off for short periods while seated. Passive and pendulum exercises continue. No lifting, pushing or pulling with the operated arm.
• Wound and dressing: Stitches or clips are usually removed around now if they are not dissolvable. Once the wound is dry and closed, a dressing is often no longer needed.
• Eating and drinking: Normal.
• Washing and showering: Usually possible without a dressing once the wound is fully closed; pat dry and avoid rubbing the scar.
• Sleeping: As in Week 1; many people are sleeping longer stretches by now.
• Driving: Still not advised.
• Work: Some people with desk-based work start part-time from home if they can type comfortably with the other hand.

Weeks 3 to 6

• Pain: Usually mild and mostly related to exercise; occasional simple painkillers are typical.
• Movement and lifting: The sling is typically weaned and stopped somewhere in this window, at a time set by your surgeon. Active-assisted movement begins, and towards the end of the period light active movement is introduced. Lifting is usually limited to very light objects, such as a small water bottle.
• Wound: The scar continues to mature. Sun protection and gentle moisturising are usually advised once fully healed.
• Eating and drinking: Normal.
• Washing and showering: Normal, although reaching behind the back or above the head is still restricted.
• Sleeping: Most people gradually return to their usual position, avoiding lying directly on the operated shoulder.
• Driving: Usually considered only once you are out of the sling, off strong medication and can control the wheel safely; for most people this is around 4 to 6 weeks or later.
• Work and sport: Light, non-manual work is often possible. No sport yet apart from walking and stationary cycling if approved.

Months 2 to 3

• Pain: Typically much better than before surgery; stiffness after rest is common and improves with movement.
• Movement and lifting: Physiotherapy shifts from range of motion to gentle strengthening. Lifting limits are gradually increased according to your programme.
• Wound: Fully healed in most people.
• Eating, drinking, washing and sleeping: Normal.
• Driving: Most people who were not yet driving are driving by this stage.
• Work and sport: Return to more physical roles is usually discussed with the surgeon now. Low-impact activities such as swimming, golf or cycling may be introduced in a stepwise way when approved.

Months 6 to 12

• Pain: Most people report only occasional discomfort after heavy use.
• Movement and lifting: Strength and range continue to improve; the published recovery period of 3 to 6 months covers most daily function, while final gains can continue towards a year. Permanent limits on heavy lifting or repetitive overhead loading are often recommended to protect the implant.
• Work and sport: Most people are back to their usual work. Contact sports and heavy overhead activity are usually discussed individually and may be discouraged.
• Follow-up: Periodic imaging to check the implant is common at intervals set by the surgeon.

When it is safe to fly home

For most international patients the earliest flight home after shoulder replacement is usually around 7 to 14 days after surgery, once the wound is dry, pain is controlled with oral medicine and you can manage a sling safely in a crowded environment. Timing matters for three reasons: swelling in the arm can increase in a low-pressure cabin; long periods of sitting on a long-haul flight raise the risk of a blood clot in the leg; and changing cabin pressure can make a fresh wound more uncomfortable. Some surgeons prefer patients to stay until the first follow-up review and stitch removal.

A fitness-to-fly assessment is part of the discharge process. It usually covers wound healing, pain control, your ability to walk and move around a cabin, your clot-risk factors, any anaemia or breathing issues after anaesthesia, and whether you need a medical letter for security screening about the implant and sling. Practical advice usually includes: choose an aisle seat on the side that keeps the operated shoulder away from the aisle traffic, walk the cabin every hour or two, do ankle and calf exercises while seated, keep well hydrated and avoid alcohol. Wear compression stockings if your team recommends them. Ask for assistance with luggage and do not lift bags into the overhead locker. In hand luggage carry your pain medicine and any blood-thinning medicine, the discharge summary, a copy of your operation note, a doctor’s letter describing the implant and your fitness to fly, a spare dressing, and your surgeon’s contact details. The operating team gives the final clearance to fly.

Warning signs — when to contact your care team immediately

• Fever or chills, or feeling generally unwell.
• Redness spreading away from the incision, or increasing warmth around it.
• Discharge, pus, bleeding or an opening of the wound edges.
• Calf pain, swelling or tenderness in either leg.
• Sudden breathlessness or chest pain, which needs emergency care.
• Pain that is worsening rather than improving, or not controlled by your prescribed medicine.
• New numbness, tingling or weakness in the hand or fingers of the operated arm.
• A sudden loss of movement, a clunk or a feeling that the shoulder has come out of place after a fall or pull.
• A fall onto the operated arm, even without obvious injury.

Recovering in Türkiye and then at home

Shoulder replacement is performed at Acibadem hospitals in İstanbul and Ankara. Many patients book accommodation near the hospital for the period between discharge and the flight home, so that the first wound check and early physiotherapy sessions are within easy reach and help is available for dressing, washing and meals during the days when one arm is in a sling. A follow-up appointment with the operating team before discharge from the country is usual; it typically includes a wound review, adjustment of pain medicine, confirmation of your exercise programme and the fitness-to-fly assessment.

The international patient team coordinates prior reports and imaging before you travel, arranges appointments and organises the hospital visit and the follow-up after you return home. Interpreters can be arranged. After you return home, follow-up is done remotely with the operating team, usually with photographs of the wound and video review of your movement at agreed intervals. Take home a discharge summary, the operation note including the implant type and size, post-operative X-ray images, a written physiotherapy protocol with dates for each phase, your medication list, and an implant card or letter for airport screening and for any future doctor.

Questions to ask your surgeon before you fly out

• Which type of implant will be used, and why is it right for my shoulder?
• How long will I wear the sling, and can I remove it to wash or exercise?
• What movements and lifting limits apply in each phase, and for how long?
• Will my stitches dissolve or need removal, and where should that happen?
• When do you expect I could be cleared to fly, and on what conditions?
• Do I need blood-thinning medicine or stockings for the journey?
• How will physiotherapy at home be organised, and what should my local therapist be given?
• When can I realistically drive, return to my work, and resume the activities that matter to me?
• How and how often will remote follow-up take place, and what should trigger an urgent message?