Dr. Crowe was able to repair my broken left femur. It was a very bad break. Previously, my doctor from the VA told me if I ever broke my leg that I would never walk and probably end up in a nursing home, bed ridden. I was told no pins or rods could be installed to prevent the leg from more damage or breaking.

The night I went to the ER, after my fall, I talked to my surgeon, Dr. Crowe. He assured me he could have me walking in approximately 4 weeks. I am now getting around with a cane, moving slow, but I’m moving including walking stairs! When I first get up after sitting or lying down for a while, I’m very stiff. After a short period of time, I’m moving around with very little pain. I just take my time and walk slowly. As of today, not much has changed, I still have swelling and some pain, but I am still getting around and doing things that I thought I would never be able to do any more, including living in my own home. Thanks to Dr. Crowe, I feel I have a future now and hope to continue my life independently. My plans are to never give up.

I have been a patient of Dr. Crowe for 24 years with history of degenerative disc disease. Over the years, Dr. Crowe has performed 3 laminectomies and even helped out with a nagging bunion. To his surprise, following each procedure, I returned back to my cubical at my employer sooner and sooner; far less time than anticipated for recovery. Over the years I would have discomfort in my lower back. I would have good and not so good pain level days. My go to was not narcotics, they just mask the pain. I learned to manage my discomfort by eating healthy nutrient foods, rich greens, proteins, staying active, using breathing relaxation and Tylenol when needed.

Over the past year I noticed a burning pain in my right leg when walking a short distance. Then 6 months ago the pain radiated to my left leg. Based on prior visits and conversations with Dr. Crowe, we often discussed fusion to help relieve my lower back discomfort.

The appointment that changed it all!
I was mentally prepared for spinal fusion, however, the x-ray revealed that I had arthritis in both hips; right far worse than left. Next step – hip replacement surgery. Wait! My mind wasn’t ready to hear hip replacement surgery.

Best decision!
Surgery completed on 9/12/2019. Saturday 9/14 I was walking 570 feet with a cane. Monday 9/16 I was walking 570 feet 2-3 times daily and only carrying my cane as a just in case. 9/18 no cane needed. With the ability to work from home during my recovery I started back to work full time 5 days after my surgery. By my 2 week follow-up I was climbing stairs with support of both legs. No, I’m not walking my prior pace just yet but will be very soon.

Shout Outs!
Dr. Crowe – couldn’t ask for a better surgeon. My daily pain level went from a 6-7 to 1-3, and will decrease more over time.

North Memorial Ambulatory Surgery Center – fantastic staff and team of nurses. Couldn’t ask for a better experience.

EXCEL program – highly recommend. Far better than a hospital setting for overnight stay.

Thank you Dr. Crowe, TCO, NMASC, EXCEL program and staff who assisted with my surgery and after care.
– Paula W.

Dear Dr. Crowe,

In August of 2012, I began working on my bachelor of arts degree in fashion designs. During this time, I had fallen on some ice. Not knowing how injured I was, I jumped up and went back to class. The pain in my leg began, but I was determined to get my degree; graduated in 2016. Before meeting Dr. Crowe, I had suffered with the most intense pain in my right leg for seven years. Due to this pain, it has prevented me from utilizing my degree; not being able to participate in Fashion week. Being a fashion designer is something I have dreamed of becoming since I was a little girl and now that I have had my surgery, I can finally live my childhood dream.

Thank you Dr. Crowe and Dr. Brianna Randall for giving me my life back.
Valerie B.

My comeback story starts with a flashback. It was 1978 and I was a 20-year-old Navy enlisted man. I was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, far from my childhood home in North Minneapolis. As I watched the sun set over the ocean I thought to myself, “Someday, I want to walk down a beautiful beach like this with Renee” (my girlfriend at the time). Fast-forward 40 years. I could barely walk half a city block. My legs felt weak, then numb. I experienced “foot drop,” with my right foot dragging due to nerve damage. One of my toes are completely numb and has been for years. Normal activities are a major struggle. Walking to a restaurant with friends meant they had to frequently stop to wait for me to catch up, or unintentionally leave me trailing far behind. Mowing the lawn was a lengthy ordeal and strolling along a beach – not trudging or stumbling in the sand – was not much of a possibility.

What happened to me? In my early 20s, I was helping a friend do some home repairs. I was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with heavy, wet concrete. I injured my back, herniating two discs. Prior to that injury, I was active and athletic. I had completed three marathons, two triathalons and numerous 5 and 10k races. The back injury immediately curtailed my distance running. Over the next few years, my pain levels increased. I consulted with Dr. Crowe of Twin Cities Orthopedics and we jointly decided surgery was my best option to relieve the pain. I was 29 years old.

After my initial surgery, the back pain eased, but that relief was short-lived. At age 31, I had a second surgery with Dr. Crowe. Over the next 20 years, I was rarely pain-free. As I aged, normal activities and daily chores become more and more difficult. In my late 50s, the pain and lack of mobility became so severe that I went back to Dr. Crowe for another consultation. One non-surgical option was a steroid injection between the L3 and L4 discs. I opted for this minimally invasive approach, only to experience extreme pain during the injection. It was one of the most excruciating experiences of my life. Sadly, it didn’t improve my situation. Like many men, I went into denial and avoidance. I did not seek medical attention for eight months.

By the time I summoned the courage to go back to Dr. Crowe, my situation was dire. I was experiencing severe neuropathy, with ongoing leg numbness, persistent nerve tingling and significant problems walking. Dr. Crowe referred me to a neurologist who performed a number of tests and came to the diagnosis of “Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy.” I asked him about treatment options and was told, “you’ll have to learn to live with it.” I still clung to that dream of walking along a beautiful beach with Renee, now my wife of 35 years. I told the neurologist about my desire. He paused and said, “You can still do that; you’ll just have to walk very slowly and take plenty of rest stops.” In other words, trudge along a few yards at a snail’s pace, then find a place to sit until I regained feeling in my legs, then repeat. Not exactly the romantic beach walk with Renee I envisioned as a 20-year-old.

This was no way to live. Renee and I talked and I decided I needed to seek out other treatment options. We considered going to a world-renowned medical center in southern Minnesota. But before doing that, I felt I should consult again with Dr. Crowe. I have a 30-year relationship with him and that is something I would not get at any other health care system, no matter how good it is. I made another appointment with Dr. Crowe. After a long talk, he told me the words I needed to hear. “You are too young to live this way,” he said. He said nerve decompression surgery might provide me the relief I yearned for. I put my trust in Dr. Crowe’s decades of expertise.

Dr. Crowe performed the surgery in December, 2018. I was on the operating table for more than six hours due to the very poor condition of my spine. The result has exceeded my expectations. The surgery gave me back my life. I owe a debt of gratitude to the entire Twin Cities Orthopedic team. Today, I am walking proof of Dr. Crowe’s knowledge and talent. I am pain-free. I have regained all feeling in my legs (and yes, even in that long-numb toe). The neuropathy is gone and I am regaining my strength. Just three weeks after the surgery, I could spend an hour working out on an elliptical machine. I began to extend the distance I walked each day.

In addition to thanking Dr. Crowe, I want to give a shout-out to his team. Jenny, my Care Coordinator, has been outstanding in answering all of my questions, scheduling appointments and making sure I was never in the dark as I went through the surgery and recovery. I can’t say enough good things about Brianna, PA-C. Brianna was present during my surgery and followed up with me at the end of that long day. She even offered to play a hand of cribbage with me that night. She took special steps to ensure my pain was under control, then worked to set up the physical therapy I needed to move forward with my recovery. In March of this year, my wife Renee and I traveled to the Florida panhandle and I enjoyed a long, memorable pain-free walk with her as the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico. Had you seen us strolling arm-in-arm along the shore, you wouldn’t have thought it was anything special, but for me it was an epic comeback for which I am deeply grateful.

I went to Twin Cities Orthopedics for a second opinion and found Dr. Crowe. He had fixed a compound fracture of my ankle in 2000, and did a wonderful job. I was so happy to find him again and he did a wonderful job on my back. I am pain free and so grateful to Dr. Crowe. If you want a great surgeon who knows his stuff…..Call him!! You will not be disappointed.

I had surgery with Dr. Crowe a couple years ago. I meant to leave my story then but forgot. Dr. Crowe fused my L3L4L5 and I was very happy with him and the work he did for me. He has a great team with him and I would recommend Dr. Crowe and his team to anyone who wants the best surgeon helping them. He really cared about me and my situation. Thank you Dr. Crowe!

I have been bounced between a few different doctors trying to figure out what was causing me the most pain, my back or my hip. The hip won… Dr. Crowe and his staff have done an outstanding job with my hip replacement. I am now pain free and am able to do things I haven’t been able to for over a year. My recovery was better than expected and is a testimony to his skill as a surgeon. His staff is great and I highly recommend him.

I’ve had some debilitating back and right hip issues and finally found Dr. Crowe. He actually listened and spent time trying to figure out what was going on. After an X-ray, it was determined I have some degenerative spine issues. He suggested trying an epidural spine shot and after a month it started feeling better. Now, I have started exercising again. It may come back but now I feel I’ve found a doctor who will listen and be there for me when it flares back up again. My next step is to strengthen my core and get back in shape to lessen any future issues. Thanks Dr. Crowe.

I have spent over 30 years struggling with back pain, and the past couple years have been the absolute worst as I had developed sciatica.

Dr. Crowe has given me my life back. In a matter of a couple weeks, the lumbar decompression he performed has permitted me do the things that I enjoy once again. My scarring is minimal too! I cannot wait until the weather breaks so my pups and I can go walking again. Thank you so much Dr. Crowe!

I liked Dr. Crowe the first time I met him in February 2015 (recommended by Dr. Robin Crandall). He was extremely knowledgeable but also had a sense of humor. I was experiencing severe pain in my left backside again. I had been diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis Stenosis in 2013. After reviewing MRI results and Physical Therapy, my decompression and lumbar fusion surgery was scheduled for April 1st (no joke).

I’m so thankful for a very successful outcome! One concern I had was being able to go on my annual fishing trip. Dr. Crowe said if my recovery went well, I could definitely go. It was a miracle to me that 3 weeks post-surgery, I was totally off all pain meds (an answer to prayer).

I had to write about how skillful Dr. Crowe is. In fact, everyone at TCO was wonderful from supportive, quick-to-respond Jenny to PA Kara in the hospital, who answered all questions and explained in detail.

Dr. Crowe’s associate, Dr. Kraft, had replaced both of my knee joints and both surgeries were very successful. I asked Dr. Kraft who he would want to operate on him, and he said Dr. Crowe. Dr. Crowe did a wonderful job on me. I had very little pain with the Lumbar Decompression and Fusion and my left Foot Drop was corrected.

I would without hesitation recommend Dr. Crowe to anyone needing his special skills.

I felt completely confident with everyone involved in my procedure and that includes the intake people. I feel that Dr. Crowe and his staff did everything they could to get this old man up and walking with very little discomfort. I am very happy with the outcome!