Patient Testimonials

Dr. Arntson has a very calming demeanor, which immediately put me at ease when I met him. He did a total hip replacement on my left hip using an anterior approach. He informed me that this approach has many benefits for recovery when compared to a posterior approach.

I had my right hip done by a different surgeon outside TCO using the posterior approach. My recovery with the anterior approach was night and day. I had a faster recovery, no big foam brace to sleep with, and I was able to bend over much sooner. I am incredibly impressed with Dr. Arntson’s bedside manner and his choice of anterior hip replacement. My incision looks great too! I’m so happy to feel good again! Thank you so very much to Dr. Arntson and his team.

My 91-year-old mother’s pain was so bad she couldn’t sleep for more than a few hours or walk without assistance. She assumed at her age, she had to live with it. She had been active and quite healthy until recently, so I brought her to see Dr. Vanden Berge. He showed us her X-rays, and we were shocked at how much of her hip joint was gone. She was nervous, but had the hip replaced and was walking the next day. It’s been less than three months, and she goes grocery shopping again, walks with no cane, gets in and out of the bathtub on her own, even sleeps for six hours straight. She has gained her independence again and her quality of life is so much better. She says Dr. Vanden Berge is a miracle worker, and would recommend him to anyone needing replacement surgery. We both thank Dr. Vanden Berge and his team!

In July of 2016, I completely tore my hamstring off the bone while water skiing. By the time I had surgery, about four and a half months had passed since the injury. Dr. Larson performed the surgery to reattach my hamstring using an allograft. As someone who has always loved running, there were a lot of questions and uncertainty at the time about what my recovery would look like and whether I would ever be able to return to running at the level I wanted. Fast forward nearly a decade, and I’m incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come. Last year, I completed my first marathon. This year, I completed another marathon in 3:32:29! Crossing that finish line meant a lot more to me than just the time on the clock.

Considering where I started, with a complete hamstring avulsion, a delayed repair, and so much uncertainty about what I would be able to do again; it’s pretty incredible to look back and see where I am today. I wanted to thank Dr. Larson for the incredible job he did with my surgery, and for the care him and his team provided throughout that process. Running has continued to be an important part of my life, and I truly don’t believe I would be where I am today without the work he did nearly ten years ago.

My experience with Dr. O’Neill and his staff have been a wonderful story. I limped into his office with a cane after enduring a year of excruciating pain, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. My active life had come to a halt. Dr. O’Neill diagnosed my hip arthritis, and we scheduled a right total hip replacement with an anterior approach. I woke up in the recovery room free of hip and sciatica pain that had plagued me for 12 months. After six weeks, I stopped using any walking aids and was able to walk without a limp. I am a retired operating room nurse and never expected such a quick and complete recovery. Dr. O’Neill and his team are fabulous and professional. I highly recommend him to everyone so they can get their life back on track.

This testimonial is several years overdue, but perhaps that makes it even more meaningful because I can now speak to the lasting outcome of my surgery. I first came to know Dr. Christopher Larson and his amazing PA-C, Kevin Reichart, through my work as an operating room nurse at Crosstown Surgery Center in Edina. Working alongside them gave me a unique perspective. I had the opportunity to see firsthand the expertise, precision, and dedication they bring to their patients. When I eventually became the patient myself, I knew exactly who I trusted with my hip.

In 2022, Dr. Larson performed hip-preservation surgery on me. I was older than many of the patients typically undergoing this type of procedure, and I understood that preserving my native hip at my age came with different considerations and expectations. Dr. Larson gave me the opportunity to do exactly that. Now it is 2026, four years after surgery, and my hip is still doing remarkably well.

As an orthopedic OR nurse with decades of experience, I have worked with many talented surgeons throughout my career. There is something especially meaningful about choosing one of your own colleagues when you become the person on the operating table. You know what happens on the other side of those OR doors. You know what technical excellence looks like. And you know whom you would trust with your own body. I trusted Dr. Larson and Kevin. Four years later, I am incredibly grateful that I did.

Dr. Larson’s expertise in hip preservation is extraordinary, but equally important to me was the care I received from the entire team. Kevin is an exceptional PA-C and an integral part of what makes their team so special. I had confidence in them not only because I knew them professionally, but because I experienced their care personally. There is something wonderful about being able to say, years later, that the goal was accomplished: my hip was preserved, and I’m still doing great. Thank you to Dr. Larson and Kevin for taking such wonderful care of me. It has been a privilege to work alongside you, and I will always be grateful that, when it was my turn to become the patient, I had a team I trusted completely.

My journey with the Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) team began in February 2017 when my wife gave me a Valentine’s Day gift: a new hip. I had put it off for so long because I was afraid. Dr. Brian O’Neill performed the surgery and helped soothe my fears. The surgery went well, and I was up and walking with the assistance of a walker within an hour or two of the operation thanks to the TCO EXCEL program. His advice was simple: walk. He said it was the best thing for a new hip, and he was right! Since my surgery, I have participated in the TCO personal training program, where I meet with Laurey Heinrich twice a week for 30-minute sessions focused on strengthening. Laurey’s sessions have provided motivation, accountability, and the support I needed to stay committed to exercising.

Over the past couple of years, I have developed some knee and shoulder “maturing issues.” These have become the focus of my training and have led to a few physical therapy sessions with the TCO team. Dr. David Hartigan and his PA-C, Aaron Hulsebus, have been realistic about my physical challenges and have helped create a care plan that takes my personal goals into consideration while improving my mobility.

Where has this journey led me? Over the past year, I have lost 20 pounds and successfully kept the weight off. I have been able to travel and enjoy hiking in the Red Rock area of Sedona, Arizona; explore the beaches and trails of Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu; and enjoy many trails throughout Minnesota. I can even play golf again. Most importantly, with the birth of my granddaughter, I am now able to get up and down from the ground to play with her, which is a major accomplishment. I can hold her, read books to her, and go for walks with her and my family. Having that mobility back is a true gift!

My shoulder and knees may still have their “maturing issues,” but the TCO team has provided me with the tools, guidance, and care I need to maintain my mobility while reducing discomfort, all without the need for additional surgery. For my mobility and the opportunities it has opened up for me, I am deeply grateful to the TCO team.

Dr. Nessler and his team are the best! He replaced my right hip in November 2024 and just did my left hip July 2026. The entire process is very smooth. The EXCEL program and cares sites at the Omni Hotel is a very pleasant experience from surgery to recovery. I always felt well cared for and comfortable. I can now get back to full range of motion in both my hips and become active again. Thank you to Dr. Nessler and his team.

Dr. Allan Hunt agreed to do my hip replacement on one condition – I had to send him a picture of me once I was back on my horse. It took us awhile to train for riding, but here we are. I am finally able to ride again! I will forever be grateful to to Dr. Hunt for giving me my dream back! He is an amazing surgeon and I have much love for his team and the staff at TCO. You all rock!

After a significant injury during basketball, I visited TCO Urgent Care. After an MRI, I learned I needed surgery pretty quickly. By luck of the draw, Dr. Butterfield was my surgeon. I had S/P right knee open medial retinacular repair, MPFL repair, and vastus medialis obliquus repair. The procedure and recovery have been nothing short of top notch! My recovery has been quicker than expected and I am able to get back to sports very soon. Besides the great experience with surgery, we were extremely satisfied with the fact that we saw Dr. Butterfield at all appointments. We have had experiences with many other surgeries where the providers were only seen at the initial appointment and day of surgery. This shows his care and dedication to each patient. I highly recommend Dr. Butterfield!

I recently had both my hips replaced by Dr. Bircher. He was wonderful! From the first visit through recovery, his team gave me confidence through all the phases of this journey. I never thought I would have this procedure done but I am very happy with the results. I no longer have shooting pain down my legs, and I am able to go back to teaching workout classes. Thank you to Dr. Bircher and his team!