Found out i have a "large tear" in my labrum and will be having surgery in the next few weeks. Give me all your tips and tricks. Everything is appreciated. And of course it's my dominant hand.

Nothing from me, but will follow.

I've got slap tears in both shoulders, along with rotator cuff tendonosis and other associated issues. I was able to go the PT route and at least delay the need for surgery. In the future, I know I will need it.

Talk to doctor about "prehab" meaning strengthening prior to surgery. Only do one PT visit per week due to insurance limiting number of authorized visits and then perform same exercises at home.

Ask about options for pain management that do not involve narcotics.

Be protective of shoulder joint post op. Even basic things like driving, applying deodorant, showering, carrying dinner plate to table can be a challenge.

Replace the shoulder strap on the sling ASAP. The one I had was Velcro and was not properly secured causing my arm to drop unexpectedly. That was painful and scared me because I felt a pop when it happened.

I also bought a wedge shaped pillow to sleep in a more elevated position which was more comfortable than a recliner.

Thanks

I had multiple issues with my shoulder and ultimately decided to have surgery after trying everything else first.

Instead of repairing the labrum, we elected to do a biceps tenodesis and I've been very happy with the results. My main piece of advice is: Take the post-op PT seriously and continue to do it regularly. It will be excruciating at first, but work through the pain, especially if you want to maintain any kind of flexibility. I'm 6 years post surgery and still do the PT as part of my regular excercise routine.

This is TMI, but wanted to give some background: I was dealing with a torn labrum and extreme arthritis due to synovial osteochondromatosis (little pieces of the shoulder socket lining were breaking off and calcifying). Basically, my shoulder was full of gravel, which eroded away much of the soft tissue. My surgeon removed dozens of deposits and showed me a video he took during the procedure. My shoulder socket looked like a snow globe. Unfortunately, I'll probably need surgery again in a couple decades to remove additional deposits since there isn't a treatment.

Everything Stringfellow Hawke said is spot on. The only thing I'll add: Once I stopped wearing the sling at home, I continued to wear it when out in public for several weeks. People I knew would, by habit, pat me on the shoulder or reach out and grab my hand/arm forgetting that I had surgery. The sling was a visual reminder for people not to mess with it. It also helped remind me to be careful with the arm.

I had a surgery to repair this probably a decade ago. The physical therapy sucks and being in a sling sucks but take it easy and you will get better over time.

Make sure you have a comfortable recliner to sleep in. It's much easier to sleep in a recliner with a sling on.

I saw Dr. Edwards at Texas Orthopedic. He did a great job.