Patient Testimonials

Dr. Carlson and Melissa Thompson were outstanding in their determination to fix an inappropriate denial of a partial knee replacement by my insurance company. The surgery needed to be rescheduled and Dr. Carlson called to personally apologize despite the situation not being his fault. Both Dr. Carlson and Melissa gave it their full effort to help resolve my problem. I am very pleased with the way the TCO team responded to the situation. Thank you to everyone involved!

If you need a knee replacement, Dr. Bircher is the doctor for you! I wish I knew about him earlier otherwise I would have gotten my procedure done a lot sooner. I am five months into my recovery and better than ever. I don’t know how he did it, but my pain was minimal, my scar is small, and I only had a bit of bruising. His care, along with his team, is very personal. I knew just what to expect. The physical therapy team at TCO was phenomenal too! I know who to call with any future knee issues. Thank you to Dr. Bircher and his team!

I couldn’t be happier with the results of my two knee replacements. I would highly recommend Dr. Nessler and has team. They did a fantastic job!

I had my one-year follow-up visit after total knee replacement surgeries on both knees. My knees are great with no more stiffness, pain, or arthritis. I can enjoy a normal quality of life again. If you are experiencing knee pain and considering surgery, I highly recommend Dr. Jason Barry and Rebecca Munson, PA-C. They are great!

Dr. Barry and Rebecca did a great job on my knee replacement. The recovery time at Twin Cities Orthopedics was fantastic.

Dr. Bircher did my left knee replacement in April 2025, and my right knee replacement in September 2025. He is a fabulous doctor! I would recommend him and his team to anyone. I am extremely happy with my new knees, and I can participate in regular activities again. What a blessing for sure!

Dr. James Bircher replaced my left knee on September 9th, 2025. It feels amazing and I am super happy with him and his team! They have been very professional and courteous toward me. Thank you again to Dr. Bircher and his team. I am looking forward to having my right knee replaced on January 6th.

For years I suffered with knee pain attributed to arthritis. After suffering a few falls, which unfortunately had me landing on my knees, I began going to physical therapy in hopes of strengthening the knee and reducing the pain. The therapist at TCO highly recommended me to Dr. Bircher.

He has been wonderful with his calm and patient personality! He gently guided me through alternative procedures to surgery, since I felt I was not ready to go through with an operation yet. The cortisone injection sadly had no effect on my pain. A few months later, we tried a gel injection. It worked for two months and significantly relieved my pain, but not the full six months like we had hoped. We tried the gel injection one more time after a six-month break and there it had no effect that time. He never made me feel rushed during our appointments and he let me take my time voicing my fears and concerns. Thanks to Dr. Bircher’s patience and dedication in trying to find alternative solutions before surgery, I finally agreed to the knee replacement.

On the day of my procedure, I was reassured, impressed, and comforted during visits from his team as they each explaining their “role” in the process. The Rom-tech device and the ice compression machine were both vital in my first month of recovery. Regular physical therapy following the procedure was another requirement to help strengthen the knee and start regaining mobility. I cannot say enough good things about Dr Bircher, his team, and the TCO Excelsior therapy staff!

Thank you to Dr. Knowlan and his team for everything they did to make my knee replacement journey so successful and pleasant. I have enjoyed working with all of them. Dr. Knowlan is the best! His astounding expertise, surgical skills, and personality are astounding.

I’ve had knee problems for years. It started with a broken kneecap from playing soccer, followed by bipartite patella surgery, and a couple of meniscus repairs. I’ve always been active. Skiing, biking, hiking, and just staying on the move. Eventually, the pain became too much.

I saw several TCO physicians in the past, and when things got worse, I decided to get a second opinion there. A few of my friends had great experiences with Dr. Bjerke, so I made an appointment. He recommended TCO’s EXCEL program and thought I would be a good fit. He was right.

The experience was outstanding. I had surgery at TCO Eagan -Viking Lakes and recovered in a care suite at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel across the street. It felt more like a high-end hotel stay than a hospital visit. I received physical therapy right in my room, and everything from pre-op to recovery was smooth and well-organized.

I was back to work in four weeks and riding a recumbent bike in seven. Now, I’m preparing for a hiking trip in Bhutan this fall and feeling great. From start to finish, Dr. Bjerke and the entire team made the process easy and supportive. The EXCEL program gave me the comfort, care, and confidence I needed, and I am truly grateful.