My ex had a rotator cuff repaired about 5 years ago. I was very impressed with the team, who are also the Orthopedic surgeons for the local Pro and college teams. We watched the surgery from a glassed-in waiting area, with monitors showing what the arthroscopic cameras saw. It took 20 minutes tops. She had 2-3 days of easy recovery (i.e., strong pain meds), then 4-6 weeks of rough recovery. The PT was painful, and the shoulder was "achey" the rest of the time. It was 8-10 weeks before the sling was fully off and she was cleared for full use.