Patient Testimonials

At my first appointment with Dr. O’Neill, I was in so much pain that I was frantic. Dr. O’Neill came into the room, sat down, and truly listened. He responded with empathy and kindness which was exactly what I needed. He walked me through the X-ray results, advised an MRI, and sent me on my way. The MRI revealed that my hip had no cartilage remaining and that was the source of my pain. I had to wait a few months for surgical availability so during that time I tried a hip injection which I thought might tide me over until the operation. Unfortunately, the injection didn’t have any effect, and I was back to square one with managing my pain until my surgery date.

Finally, the day for surgery came and I was so ready. The nursing staff at the surgical center were amazing and the surgery went smoothly. That afternoon, I was up and walking around the hallway with a walker. It felt great! The first night was rough but that was to be expected. I was already sent home the next day. Now, I am eight-weeks post-surgery and back to walking my three miles a day pain free. It’s amazing! I highly recommend Dr. O’Neill and his team. He is not only an outstanding surgeon, but also a decent human being.

I have been heavily involved in Minnesota Special Olympics since I was eight years old and now, I will be turning 30 this month. Last fall, I sprained my ankle at flag football practice. I knew right away that I injured my ankle, so my dad took me to the ER. They did an X-ray and said it wasn’t broken but referred me to Twin Cities Orthopedics. The doctor at TCO Maple Grove ordered an MRI and said it was a bad sprain. I was put in a boot and eventually an ankle brace. The doctor ordered weekly physical therapy which I continued for several weeks. Unfortunately, I was unable to return to flag football that season. I met with the doctor again to check progress, and he continued the PT for a few more weeks just to be make sure everything was fully healed. I was given the go ahead to play but told to go slow.

I am part of Osseo-Maple Grove Athletic Association (OMGAA) teams and play ice hockey with Minnesota Special Hockey. A few weeks into this past season I also took a fall on the ice and injured my hand! I again went to TCO Maple Grove where they did another X-ray, and I was given a brace to wear on wrist. I was still having pain issues, so I returned to TCO and saw a doctor in the hand specialist clinic. He ordered an ultrasound of my wrist, and I have a follow-up appointment with him this week.

I also do gymnastics for MN Special Olympics. Three weeks ago, I injured my back at practice doing the vault. After a week, I was still having a lot of back and leg pain, so I went to TCO again. The doctor ordered an ultrasound of my back, and the results were a herniated disc. I start PT for my back this week. He also ordered a cortisone shot for my spine so I will likely be out from basketball and gymnastics for the season.

During this time, I will work on strengthening my body parts! In addition to playing several sports with MN Special Olympics, I also coach my sister’s bocce ball team in the summer. I have been chosen as an athletic coach for bocce at the USA games that will be held in Minnesota this summer. I am very excited! I went to Seattle in 2018 for the USA games and competed in gymnastics where I came home with five medals. I also was a part of the USA games in Orlando in 2022 for half court women’s basketball. We won a gold medal! I have always felt very supported at TCO and listened to by doctors and therapists. They always thoroughly explain at home exercises and are very clear on when I can return to sports. I am sure with all the sports I play that I will be back to TCO in the future!

I first met Dr. Dwivedi in 2024 when I had an injury to my elbow. He reviewed my scans with me, all the options that were available, and what the outcome and recovery would be. We tried steroid injections first and then I opted for surgery. The outcome and recovery were just as he had explained. Now, I am two years past my surgery, and I have opted to have another surgery with Dr. Dwivedi as I trust his professional opinion and his ability to fix my current issue. I would highly recommend Dr. Dwivedi to anyone as he and his team are personable, professional, and very skilled at taking care of your orthopedic needs.

I have seen Dr. Reynolds twice for low back and SI pain. He nailed the diagnosis immediately and confirmed it with an MRI. He has a fantastic “bedside manner” and is very easy to communicate with. Dr. Reynolds explains everything well. I feel like I receive great information coming in and going out. He sent me to TCO physical therapy, and I am responding fantastically to the exercises in my rehab! I have already referred him to others and will continue to do so in a heartbeat! What a great addition to TCO!

My family has been surrounded by support from Twin Cities Orthopedics and their staff this year. My husband had a successful knee replacement with Dr. TJ Panek’s staff in the EXCEL program. The organization, communication, and outstanding care provided from start to finish could not have been better. A knee replacement is not a minor procedure, but his surgery and recovery have been incredibly smooth and supported.

Our older son injured his shoulder during his high school football season. His school’s TCO sports trainer, Julia West, has been supporting him through every step of his recovery as he prepares for his final high school baseball season. Our younger son dislocated his kneecap this fall and initially tried rehab through physical therapy. When it became apparent that therapy wasn’t going to be the solution, Dr. Christopher Larson reassured him that surgery would provide the pathway to getting his goals back on track.

We’ve spent quite a lot of time this year interacting with many healthcare providers at TCO and every experience has felt like we were their main priority. From scheduling to record keeping to PT to imaging to surgical care coordinators to doctors, our experience has been outstanding and the recovery outcomes positive. I would highly recommend TCO to anyone looking for orthopedic care for themselves or their family.

I saw Dr. Eggers for pain in my lower back and hips. I was thoroughly impressed during my initial visit. After listening to my symptoms, I found that his knowledge was confirmed by an MRI that I received shortly after that consultation. He was also very honest about his practice. I sincerely appreciated that. I was also comforted that he would take the time to discuss my condition, concerns, and treatment. I feel that I am in excellent hands when seeing Dr. Eggers.

Thank you to Dr. Hofkens for completing the procedure on my shoulder. He removed calcium deposits on my rotator cuff which was contacting my bicep tendon causing significant pain and weakness. The procedure was a HUGE success, and I can now move, and use left shoulder without any issues. I have been dealing with the pain and weakness for almost a year. After an MRI and months of physical therapy with no improvement prior to the surgery, the procedure was completed. Within a few days, my shoulder was back to normal. I appreciate and value the expertise and precision of Dr. Hofkens!

My mother, who is 89 years old, was receiving back injections, nerve ablations, and even had an electronic nerve stimulator implanted in her back. Over a 15-year period of trying to ease her serve back pain, there was no relief. She lived in terrible pain every single day!

After tons of research to try to help my mother, I found Dr. Hoel at Twin Cities Orthopedics and made her an appointment. Although we did not have a current MRI available, only previous CT scans, Dr. Hoel told my mom that he knew where her pain was coming from. He ordered her a back injection along with getting her an MRI. After that injection, her pain has been gone over the last six weeks! It was truly a miracle! My mom recently got her MRI, and we will be following up with Dr. Hoel. We were so blessed to have found him, and we give him our deepest appreciation and thanks.

After racing with intense pain in my left knee, I visited TCO’s Eden Prairie Urgent Care to gain clarity on what I was experiencing. We took some imaging, and I ended up at TCO once a week with physical therapist Dylan Scott to treat a hamstring strain and tendonitis in my left knee.

In early September, I still had lingering pain, so we took an MRI scan of my knee, discovering a tear in my lateral meniscus. It felt like every goal was being scribbled off my list as I looked at the scans on the computer. When I saw Dylan at physical therapy the next day, he took the time to sit down to answer every question I had. He assured me that no matter what happened with surgery, I would be well taken care of at TCO.

In November, Dr. Chris LaPrade performed a meniscectomy on my left knee to clean up the tear. Leading up to surgery, both Dylan and Dr. LaPrade worked very hard to make sure I felt as informed as possible, and we developed recovery plans far in advance. The day after surgery, I was already back at the Eden Prairie clinic working on walking and my range of motion.

Throughout recovery, Dylan worked to get me back on the water as soon as possible. I looked forward to every session with him because he knows my competitive brain and my wacky biomechanics better than I know them myself. After being discharged from physical therapy, adding ACE to my summer schedule was a no-brainer because it provided me an opportunity to keep working hard and getting stronger with TCO.

Exactly seven months after undergoing surgery, I was on the racecourse for the US Rowing Youth National Championships, and I know that I would not have achieved this opportunity without the unwavering support of TCO through the ups and downs.

I’ve been a patient of TCO for many years. I’ve broken my femur three times, had a hip replacement, stress fractures, and a broken foot. Not great bones.

Through it all, I’ve always felt like I was in great hands at TCO. During my recent MRI, the power went out. It was frightening, but the staff handled it the best they could. I spoke with Matt afterward, and he is an absolute gift to the TCO family.

When I came back two weeks later, I was really nervous. Matt Grey happened to be working that day, and he took care of me. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone more kind, gentle, and reassuring. He got me through the MRI with ease, and I’m so grateful.