Physicians

I have fought this back pain getting progressively worse for 3 1/2 years to the point where I just about couldn’t walk. Now after surgery performed by Dr. DuBois, the pain is for the most part gone its unbelievable! I can go up and down stairs without holding on, sit for long periods of time and walk as far as I want. Thank you TCO.

Surgery with Dr. DuBois relieved the very bad pain I had in my leg. The pain was so bad that I could not sit for more than 1 minute nor could I stand still for more than 2 minutes. After surgery and recovery, I was able to both sit and stand again. I would recommend this procedure to anyone who has the same condition I had.

I am so thankful to be able to enjoy family walks and recreation with my family and friends again! Dr. DuBois is an amazing doctor who I would highly recommend to others!

I was in terrible, debilitating pain due to a herniated L5-S1. I was in pain for almost 4 months and it affected every aspect of my life. Three weeks after surgery, I felt no more pain and started getting back to all of my normal activities. Dr. DuBois gave me my life back! Thank you!

Prior to surgery, I had severe neck, shoulder and arm pain, especially in my right arm including numbness and tingling in my right arm and fingers. I also had moderate pain in my left arm. Surgery with Dr. DuBois immediately relieved much of the pain and tingling. I still have some numbness in fingers but that may be due to the length of time I went before surgery. For me, I was up and moving around in two days with little or no pain, just tired. I felt ready to go back to work with light duty in three weeks but opted to stay off for 6. Now, I am able to sleep better where as before I was losing 2 to 4 hours a night because of the discomfort.

I have had back pain since the 1990s and have had 5 previous surgeries elsewhere that didn’t work. Now, I am pain free and am excited to start umpiring baseball again. Dr. DuBois and TCO did a great job as well as the physical therapy team post-operation. Bottom line thank you TCO for giving my life back.

I had disc bulging at L3-4 and more severe at L4-5 with moderate disc degeneration. I had a L4-5 microdisectomy and felt significant relief of my back pain at this level and leg pain. Unfortunately, I still have a herniation at L3-4 that isn’t to the point of needing surgery. Disc degeneration that would require a fusion and given I am only 36, a fusion is something I want to avoid. Dr. DuBois was excellent and the L4-5 microdiscectomy made it possible to play with my twin girls again. If further surgery is needed at some point, I would definitely go back to see Dr. DuBois.

I fell 15 feet. I shattered my ankle, broke my tibia in 5 different places and blew out the disc between L5-S1. Dr. DuBois installed an artificial disc in my back. It has been just under 13 months since surgery and my back feels fantastic. I have other issues in my back which prevent me from doing strenuous activities, but where the surgery was performed feels great. The pain is about 90% gone. If it weren’t for my other back and ankle issues, I would feel awesome. I can’t thank Dr. DuBios, Bonnie and the rest of his team enough for fixing me up. I was in and out of surgery in an hour. I can’t even get my tires changed that fast. Dr. DuBois is one of the best orthopedic surgeons around. I would settle for nothing less than the best.  Thank you all for fixing me up.

Before surgery, I could not walk across Home Depot without looking for a lawn chair to sit in because of aching pain in my leg. I also did not sleep well because of pain. After surgery the relief was immediate. All pain gone. I would do it again but very happy I don’t have to. Thank you Dr. DuBois!

I struggled with gradually worsening sciatic pain over the last 10 years. It progressed to the point that a sharp, stabbing pain in my right gluteus, radiating down all the way to my right ankle, plagued me whenever I was bearing weight. Slowly, I was losing my ability to live my life. I retired from a nearly 30 year career in nursing because I could no longer do the work. Then, our family dog had to be given to my daughter because I could not walk him to the park, only a block away. I could no longer maintain my beloved flowerbeds. Cleaning the house became an impossible chore. Eventually, I could not even tolerate standing long enough to cook a meal. No amount of physical therapy or chiropractic measures seemed to be able to stem the tide. Pain was confining me to either my couch or my bed.

The final straw was a long-planned vacation to Ireland. My husband had to push me around Dublin in a wheelchair. At 53 years young, I could not accept living this way.

In my quest to end this downward spiral, I met Dr. Christian DuBois at TCO, who recognized the degeneration that had occurred in my spine. He performed a 2-level spinal fusion with replacement of the L4/L5 and L5/S1 discs in December of 2018. I was warned that pain relief would not be immediate and my recovery would be long. But when I first stood up after surgery, although sore from the surgical incision, my sciatic pain was gone. Because of how much better I felt, I progressed very quickly through my post-surgery physical therapy, which was also done with TCO.

I have a life again now. Already I’m able to do far more than I ever could a year ago. But my journey is not over! I will continue with TCO for my upcoming knee replacements this year, as there is nobody else with whom I would rather write the rest of my Comeback story.

Compared to a year ago, the way I feel now is nothing short of amazing. I am able to mountain bike, XC ski, play basketball, coach, and do all of my normal activities pain free. Prior to my cervical disk replacement, I was having excruciating pain radiate down my arm that prevented me from doing just basic activities. I was unable to even lie flat on my back with pain and numbness. The surgery performed by Dr. DuBois really has given me my life back! My wife and kids will also attest to that.

I went into Twin Cities Orthopedics feeling nervous and frightened because my symptoms were severe. Dr. DuBois immediately made me feel at ease. He explained my options. He reassured me saying he wouldn’t recommend surgery unless he felt it was necessary, and that he’d done this surgery many, many times before. I did have the surgery. Dr. DuBois had a wonderful bedside manner. He was kind, caring and very knowledgeable. He took time to answer questions and also made my family feel comfortable. I felt better immediately and made a full recovery. I highly recommend Dr. DuBois.

WOW! Nice job! I feel like a new person. Surgery on L4, L5, and S1 allows me to walk, stand, and move around without pain. I feel 20 years younger!

Dr. Christian DuBois is not only a skilled and gifted surgeon but an excellent communicator.  He has completed 2 cervical fusions for me C6&C7 2012 and C5&C6 May 2016.  Both fusions although different in technique have been highly successful in relieving constant headaches, severe arm and neck pain.  Dr. DuBois was always very conscientious in explaining options and procedure, never rushing our appointments, while always listening to my concerns.  He empowered me as a patient in letting me know the final decision was mine. To quote my husband, “He is a miracle worker.”  It cannot go without saying Dr. DuBois’ assistant Bonnie is a one of a kind, efficient, caring, and compassionate person.  She has seemed like a lifeline for me on many occasions.  I will continue to recommend Dr. DuBois and his team with the greatest of confidence. A simple thank you does not seem like enough.

I am so grateful to Dr. DuBois. He quickly diagnosed my spine problem and explained, in terms I could understand as a lay person, the surgery needed to correct my problem. I had surgery on a Friday, and Dr. DuBois had a family obligation in Wisconsin over the weekend. I received calls in the hospital from him on Saturday and Sunday to inquire how I was doing. I am now 4 months out of surgery and doing great! Dr. DuBois is a brilliant surgeon, came highly recommended from my primary care clinic, as well as a caring compassionate human being. I would highly recommend him for anyone needing back/spine surgery.

Larry was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease at the age of twenty-five and has severe spinal stenosis. He has been living with damaged discs in his lower back for the last forty years. When the pain kept him from doing the thing he loved most – riding his motorcycle– Larry turned to Dr. Christian DuBois at Twin Cities Orthopedics for treatment.

Click here to watch Larry’s story