Patient Testimonials

When I was having trouble standing after sitting for long stretches of time, I thought it was just an old age thing—I’m 71! Turns out, my knees were bone on bone. I saw Dr. Cooper and his assistant, April. She was wonderful. I was nervous because I’d never had a surgery like this before, and she kept me calm and explained everything. She told me to build up my protein and do certain exercises before surgery, so I’d have a smoother recovery. After the surgery, I had a lot of bruising, which she’d warned me about. I got off pain killers after a week and was walking alone after two weeks. April was there every step of the way to reassure me everything was normal and that I was making good progress. 

At 52 years young, I found myself needing a partial knee replacement. Twin Cities Orthopedics was wonderful to work with and got me on the schedule in a very timely manner. Dr. Kruse was straightforward, yet kind. He took the time to make sure I understand my options. His team is also very accessible and answered all my questions. I had to go to Ridgeview Medical Center in Chaska to have my surgery. It was an hour away from my house and it made me a little bit nervous. I am pleased to say that I have never received such amazing care.

From the staff during pre-op, post-op, physical therapy, and my nursing care, they were all amazing! My nursing care was far superior to anything I have received in the past. They were very nurturing and professional at the same time. They explained everything to me in a way that made sense and provided me with my options. I felt very empowered even though I had just had knee surgery and was feeling a little gloomy about it. I highly recommend the teams at TCO and Ridgeview.

Angela Tullbane has taught me so much about nutrition and how my body uses food. As a woman in my early 60’s whose been battling weight issues since my mid 20’s, I was out of ideas. I have been thin at times during my adult life and thought of myself as “healthy” during those years. However, I was only able to achieve that body size by starving myself and doing very punishing workouts for several hours a day. I developed a history of lower body injuries from pushing myself beyond the breaking point. I never realizing I wasn’t giving my body the nutrition I needed to make my bones, muscles, and ligaments strong enough to do the work I was asking of them. When I found myself facing a serious knee surgery, I was at my wits end. I was only eating about 700 calories a day and was worried I would balloon-up during the long recovery ahead of me. I was told I needed to change my eating immediately or it would hurt my recovery. I wasn’t giving my body what it needed. Angela has been so wonderful to work with. She has helped me learn ways to feed my body to make it strong enough to support all the outdoor activities I love. Visiting her has completely changed how I think about workouts and even my body image. I wish everyone had access to this kind of help.

Dr. Anseth made me feel confident that he could help me. My recovery stay at 212 Surgery Center was very comfortable and the staff was excellent. The first few weeks were difficult but after week three, I was on the upswing. I am eight weeks into my recovery, and I can mow the lawn, plant flowers, and get up and down from the lounger on my porch with ease. My knee is great! It feels stable when I get up, and I no longer need to stand and wait until I feel like I can move. Dr. Anseth was sensitive to my nickel allergy and used a “gold” prosthetic robotically. So far, I am very pleased. Thank you to Dr. Anseth and the great TCO staff. I had put this off for ten years but I am so glad I finally did it.

I really appreciate the quality and attentive care I received from Dr. Jeremiah Johnson and his team at Twin Cities Orthopedics. They were phenomenal from initial diagnosis, to surgery, through follow-ups and recovery. Their timely care allowed me to get surgery two days after I tore my patellar tendon, which was during the Thanksgiving holiday week. I am now close to resuming normal activity levels thanks to their competent and compassionate care. I am so grateful!

Dr. Bircher has replaced both my knees with excellent results. He is not only a skilled surgeon but a great person as well. He listens, explains, and shows great care for his patients. I would send anyone to Dr. Bircher. Thank you to Dr. Bircher and his team.

Approximately two months ago, I had my fourth knee surgery. It was a total knee replacement, and my first surgery performed by Dr. Bircher. Not that I enjoy knee surgeries, but despite being the most invasive procedure I have had, this one was the most pleasant experience of the four! From my very first meeting with him, Dr. Bircher demonstrated nothing but the most professional care I could hope for. Additionally, his entire support team at Twin Cities Orthopedics was exceptional! If anyone asks me, Dr. Bircher will be a very easy recommendation to give.

After many years of knee pain, I got a referral to see Dr. Bircher. I felt very comfortable with him and his assistants right from the start. I will be looking to do my second knee surgery in the near future, and I will definitely use his services again.

I am very grateful to the person that recommended Dr. Bircher. He is a very kind, compassionate, and excellent orthopedic surgeon. What more can I say that has not already been said in all the other testimonials that I have read. My knee replacement journey went very well! During recovery, I used the ice and compression machine and the Rom Tech bike which was recommended by Dr. Bircher. I feel those devices had a big impact on my successful recovery. I have already recommended Dr. Bircher to a couple friends, and I will have him replace my other knee in the near future. Thank you to Dr. Bircher for his expertise!

I am 62 years old and have been dealing with knee pain for many years. I tore my ACL 38 years ago, and had three torn meniscus tears, bone on bone arthritis, and floating bone fragments in my left knee. I never had any surgeries to fix these issues in the past. After the last meniscus tears, and an MRI, I went in to see Dr. Saterbak. She was recommended to me from a few different people that I play Senior Softball with. When she reviewed my MRI, she told me, “Let’s not try to fix this one, let’s just give you a new knee”. Our first visit was great, as she shared what she was seeing and what the procedure would be like. I had all the confidence in the world in her. All the pre-surgery information was incredible! This included a 60-page document that covered pre-surgery, during surgery, and post-surgery information and recommendations. It was fantastic!

She recommended using the EXCEL program. What a great suggestion that was! Everything is all included in one program from pre-surgery, post-surgery, and physical therapy. The stay at the Omni Hotel was top notch! Better than any hospital stay could possibly be for recovery. The staff was fantastic. The accommodations were beautiful. Everything was just as I needed it to be.

Now let’s talk about how the procedure went and how my recovery has gone. The procedure was great, with little to no pain in my knee from day one. There was a lot of swelling and bruising as that was to be expected, but I think most of that came from the tourniquet used in the procedure. I already had a measured 90° bend and 0° straightness during the first night at the Omni with the TCO staff. I did a lot of walking that night too and everything felt great. I used a walker only that first night and then moved to a cane which only lasted for another couple days. The PT at TCO Vadnais Heights has gone great. Every trip to see them has had improved results and my expectations have been exceeded throughout the entire process. I am now at five weeks post-surgery, my PT is nearly done. My last measurement was 127° Bend and -3° and straightness.

Everything has gone better than I could have ever expected! Why did I wait so long to see someone? I would highly recommend Dr. Saterbak and her team if anyone is considering or needing a knee replacement. On a scale of one to ten, I would have to give them an eleven or higher. Thank you to TCO and Dr. Saterbak’s team for providing such outstanding medical service and care. This was as good of an experience as I could get!