Patient Testimonials

What I thought was just an ankle sprain, turned into a life threatening emergency. After the swelling went down on my foot, I thought everything was good. Turns out, I had broken my foot and was unaware the bone had become infected. As the infection became worse, I started to feel extremely sick and ended up in the emergency room. Thanks to TCO’s Dr. TJ Ridley, they found the issue and immediately prepped me for surgery. I remember Dr. Ridley looking at the MRI and saying, “This surgery has gone from trying to save your foot, to saving your life.”

Due to the severe infection, I needed a below the knee amputation. It was a shock, but considering the alternative, there was nothing else to do. I spent 6 days in the hospital, and it took two surgeries to make sure I was clear of the infection. Dr. Ridley assured me I would be up and walking before too long, and after a few weeks of recovery at home, I was able to get the staples removed. Things were progressing nicely and Dr. Ridley referred me to some amazing people who fitted for my prosthetic leg.

By the time I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Ridley, I was able to walk into his office without aid of crutches or a cane. My goal was to be able to walk on my own by Christmas and I’m proud to say I accomplished just that. I have now finished up my physical therapy, and my life is pretty much back to normal. Dr. Ridley and his staff were excellent to work with, always available to answer any questions I had, and helped me maintain a positive attitude, which I believe helped my recovery. I can’t say thank you enough. You literally saved my life.

Watch Bill’s Story Here: https://streamable.com/getje6

In October of 2016, I was faced with a situation of having my left lower leg amputated. Being a fairly active 59 years old, I was scared, nervous, and skeptical of my journey ahead. Although my story is nothing unique, it was my experience with TCO that made my situation easier to adjust too. Shortly thereafter, my oldest son, Tim, lost his left leg and partially the right foot, escalating our fight against Diabetes even more.

Timmy was a captain of the Burnsville Baseball team for the 2004-2008 seasons. He also coached the Burnsville Legion team for a number of years. TCO and the therapists there have given us the hope to be somewhat normal life again. They have introduced us to the great organization of and have simplified our journey back to independent living. Thanks!

Hi Jay,

I hope you and your family are doing well.

I wanted to take a minute to once again tell you that because of all your efforts and dedication to helping me walk and have my independence back, I am now back in the workforce! I’ve known for some time that I wanted to work part time in a position where I could interact with people and have some outside connection to the world. This week, that dream came true. The position is ideal for me, working only 10 hours a week, early morning hours. Both Bill and I didn’t know if my leg would present and issues about hiring and qualifications to do the position. It did not, much to my surprise.

Jay, without your help, expertise and encouragement, I would have never reached this level of independence. It is people like yourself and Kyle that I want to thank for continuing to live my life according to my needs. This past winter, I helped Bill with shoveling and even ran the small snow blower. It is not certain on those early days in therapy if I even knew that would be possible.

Bill/I sold our home of 35 years that we built and moved a year ago March to another home only a few miles away. The home we lived in previously was a 2 story and I had a huge landscaped flower garden that was difficult to keep up after losing my leg. Our new home is only 7 years old, with bedrooms, etc. on one level and in an equally great neighborhood as we lived previously. When looking for a new home, we had a list of priorities, namely a flat driveway, few stairs, etc. It has been one year of completing small and major projects in the house and was time that I was ready to look for outside work.

I just want you to know that there are many days, when I reflect back the help your provided to me in therapy and will always be grateful. I hope that your patients know how fortunate they are to be connected with you.

Spring is coming …finally and hope that you and your family will enjoy it!

Looking forward to seeing you when I visit Kyle.

Thanks Jay,

Patty

Seven months after Chris D. (pictured) had his left leg amputated, he is walking without a limp. Not only that, but he’s waterskiing and bicycling with his new prosthetic leg. “I rode my touring bike 50 miles this weekend,” he said.With the help of J. Chris Coetzee, M.D. Mb ChB of Twin Cities Orthopedics Edina and a lot of hard work, Chris said he is feeling great and plans on continuing to increase his level of physical activity. Chris said:”I struggled through life with significant to severe pain in my left foot and ankle due to a traumatic accident in 1992. In December 2010 – more than 18 years later – I decided to amputate my leg below the knee. I have complete medical coverage through the VA as a disabled veteran, but I would have no other surgeon perform such a life changing procedure than Dr. Chris Coetzee.I have been a patient of Chris Coetzee for almost 10 years and through three surgeries to correct problems with my left foot and ankle (including the most recent amputation). I’ve rarely met a physician – with such a busy practice – that has been so personally interested and completely involved in getting to know me as a person, my lifestyle and personal goals, and even my family so as to integrate all of my personal character traits, abilities, support systems, and individual goals into my treatment plan. Long before my decision to amputate, Chris Coetzee and Twin Cities Orthopedics dramatically increased my quality of life and physical ability through his careful listening, preparation, surgical skill, and careful follow-up. When my foot and ankle had finally completely deteriorated, more surgeries seemed like just another way to buy short chunks of time. For a more permanent solution, I wanted to talk about amputation as an option. But I had no idea what to expect. I was terrified to think about amputation, but so challenged in daily life I didn’t know how to keep going.Chris Coetzee was more like my friend than my doctor as we talked about the procedure, options, and rehabilitation. He got deeply and personally involved in the decision, and included my wife in the conversations as he has gotten to know her through the years. Chris never hesitated to answer even the most direct questions – was honest and positive, yet realistic – and was completely confident on his ability to achieve a successful result. That quiet confidence and personal investment in me as a person made all the difference as I made the final decision and was finally wheeled into the surgical suite. Chris was never too busy to talk to me as the procedure loomed and my nervousness increased. He even corresponded with me through E-mail regularly before – and after – my procedure. Everything we spoke about from recovery estimates to quality of life has come true. I was ready to leave the hospital 24 hours after my amputation. Amazing! Although at a desk, I was back to work 10 days after my procedure, fitted for my first prosthetic in just under 3 months, and hiking, mountain biking around 6 months post procedure – and waterskiing just after 7 months!. My rehabilitation and prosthetics teams have always been amazed at the quality and health of my residual limb and the speed of recovery and engagement back into an active lifestyle. I’ve been “sitting on the bench” for most of the last 18 years. Thanks to Dr. Coetzee, I am back in the game.The most impressive comment I have to recommend Dr. Chris Coetzee and the Twin Cities Orthopedics team is this; most people don’t know I’m an amputee unless I’m wearing shorts, or I tell them. I’ve met dozens of people that react with complete surprise – and sometimes shock – when they realize I’m an amputee. The most common comments are ‘I would never have known you were an amputee by seeing you walk and move around.’ Or, ‘You walk and move around just like a normal person!’ Thanks to Chris Coetzee, I can (and do) reply,  ‘Thank you. I am a normal person.'”