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I do this rehab for a job. First of all, good to hear you have a doctor you know and trust as that is most of it. I tell people shoulder surgery starts to feel better toward 3 months but time frames vary widely from little to no pain from the beginning to frustration into month 4 or 5. The doctor's preferences can make a huge difference. Some doctors allow moving into full range of motion as soon as you are reasonably (uncomfortable?) able. Some keep you in a sling for 6-8 weeks. Some start strengthening between 4-6 weeks and others not until 3-6 months. It also depends on the size of the tear. One thing I am absolutely sure of is that your wife did NOT waste her time prior to surgery. We used to do pre-surgical consults (then insurance changes in the 90s knocked that out) and those people got better faster due to knowledge of what needed done and range of motion and coordination improvements prior to surgery. Many people have rotator cuff tears and no symptoms but when pain persists, even with physical therapy it's time to look at surgical options.