Patient Testimonials

My wife, Sean, and I were on our first bicycle ride in decades a few weeks ago when Sean’s bike slipped out from under her. She suffered a distal radial fracture. We were an hour from our Lakeville home, so we went to the TCO urgent care facility in Stillwater. There, we saw Dr. Matthew Hofkens and his staff. Dr. Hofkens quickly diagnosed the fracture, stabilized it, prescribed pain medication, and made a follow-up appointment for Sean with Dr. Stephen Olmsted at the TCO clinic in Burnsville. Dr. Olmsted scheduled Sean for surgery three days later. Less than a week following her injury, Sean had necessary corrective treatment and was on her way to recovery. The quality of medical treatment provided by both Dr. Hofkens and Dr. Olmsted was top notch. Both Docs have a great bedside manner. They are very professional in their approach; however, equally important is their sense of humor. Perhaps most remarkable is the fact that EVERY SINGLE PERSON with whom we interacted at the Stillwater and Burnsville clinics, as well as at the Surgery Center, demonstrated concern, compassion, and dedication to swiftly resolving Sean’s dilemma. Add to the list the lady who answered the phone when Sean needed a boost in pain medication and Dr. Hofkens’ follow-up text to Sean to check on her . . . all outstanding! Wait times were virtually zero. Timeline: Injury and emergency treatment on Saturday, appointment with Dr. Olmsted on Tuesday, surgery Friday, removable splint and home therapy instructions the following Thursday. Drs. Hofkens and Olmsted, and their entire staff, provided the finest medical care we’ve ever experienced in our long lives!

Over the course of the past two and a half years I’ve been fortunate to have Dr. Arntson as my orthopedic surgeon. My first encounter was by chance after an accident left me needing wrist surgery. When I required a full knee replacement the following year, I did not have to think twice in considering which doctor I would choose.

Both surgeries were significant to me as a woman in her early 50s. I had many concerns regarding my recovery, mobility and quality of life. I was thoroughly impressed with the professionalism, care and compassion in which these concerns were addressed. Dr. Arntson showed me that he is a physician that takes the time to work with his patients to provide thorough, high quality feedback.

After each x-ray and ultrasound, he clearly and concisely discussed what he saw and what he felt would be the best next steps regarding my health. He was also patient in answering my questions. I never felt rushed, or that I was taking up too much time needing clarification. In addition, during my pre, mid and post-surgery periods, I received the highest quality of care by Dr. Arntson and his staff. The best way for me to express this is to say that Dr. Arntson strikes the right balance between surgical and soft skills.

The process of working with Dr. Arntson and his team at Twin Cities Orthopedics was extremely streamlined and efficient. Appointments ran on time, phone calls were returned promptly, medications were refilled when needed and concerns were addressed without hesitation. I always felt valued and that my health and recovery mattered.

I believe Dr. Arntson’s character traits are outstanding additions to the Twin Cities Orthopedics team. He gets to know his patients; he remembers you and your specific health concerns while getting to know you as a person. These qualities created trust, built clear, strong lines of communication and created a relational partnership during my medical journeys.

I can’t thank Dr. Arntson and his team enough for the support they gave me to heal, feel strong and have a better quality of life.

Dr. Koch is surely one of the top wrist surgeons in the country! She is incredibly empathetic, listens, understands, explains clearly, takes genuine interest in the patient and follows up with care. Her surgery skills are wonderful. In 2018 I sustained a near complete scapholunate ligament tear in my right dominant wrist while playing tennis. Other doctors did not give me much hope. However, Dr. Koch was quick to see me, get me into the required operative care, very attentive post-surgery, and periodically called me to follow my progress. She was extremely prescient in how the recovery would progress and was very confident I would be back to playing tennis again. Needless to say, two years later I was back to playing tennis and golf, and I have even improved my game thanks to Dr. Koch. Having experienced the incredible turnaround she accomplished with me as a 53 year old man, pretty sure she is amazing with all her patients. I could not be more grateful to Dr. Koch and her team for restoring my hand strength, skills and normalcy in my life!

Thank you, Dr. Bakker! I can’t say enough about the excellent care that I have received from you and your staff. I am always treated with the utmost respect from you and everyone in the TCO organization. I highly recommend TCO!

Dr. Steven Olmsted, the only name you need to know if you are considering carpal tunnel surgery. The diagnosis was correct and the results were terrific. Thank you to the entire staff at TCO Burnsville, especially Dr. Olmsted!

Dr. Gerlach replaced a joint in my right thumb approximately 7 years ago. I also had a left thumb replacement, performed by a different doctor. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I had minimal pain after two weeks with Dr. Gerlach and recovery was a breeze. With my left thumb surgery from a different doctor, I was still in pain after two months with a very difficult recovery. Dr. Gerlach is a highly skilled surgeon with great bed side manner.

I can’t believe I was hesitant! The fusion of the MP join on my right thumb as made all the difference in the world to me. The pain of recovery from surgery was nothing compared to the pain in my thumb for years prior to the procedure. Getting used to the fusion wasn’t nearly as difficult as I had feared. In fact, it was quite easy. If you are presented with joint fusion as an option, I strongly recommend Dr. Clare McCarthy. She and her team are compassionate professionals, who walk you through the entire process with your best interest put first. I can’t imagine a better team to trust! Simply put, they rock!

I loved my experience with Dr. Adam Bakker and team at TCO. I went into surgery having mixed feelings. With limited mobility due a wedding dance injury, I didn’t want that to define activities such as golf or skiing moving forward. The post-surgery recovery outcome was a little over 5 weeks and has been amazing!!! My mobility has increased two fold and my chicken wing arm has disappeared. I’m finally back to a “normal” life and this would not be the case without Dr. Bakker and his amazing skillset. The TCO team has been instrumental in providing great care pre and post-op. Laura B., in the Phys therapy department, has been helpful with range of motion exercises, flexibility, and minimization of scar tissue. It’s been a fantastic experience. Thank you TCO!

I had a great experience at TCO. My hand was cut pretty badly and Dr. Ridley and his team did a great job in repairing it. My hand is just like new. It feels and looks great. Thank you so much. I am very happy with the outcome.

I would highly recommend Dr. Bakker and his team if you are considering hand or wrist surgery. I had a very large lipoma on the inside of my left wrist. It had been there for 25 years. It required very intricate surgery to remove it. The surgery went extremely well and my post-op recovery was also very successful. Thank you Dr. Bakker and team!