Patient Testimonials

Ever since I was young, my passions have been playing basketball and volleyball. During my eighth grade season of basketball, I tore my ACL and meniscus in my right knee. I’ve never had a serious injury before so the orthopedic field was new to me.

My mom took me directly to TCO to get specialized care. This is where I met with Dr. Jason Dieterle. It was an amazing first experience. Dr. Dieterle gave me valuable input and made me feel cared for as a young, injured athlete. At the time, I was extremely scared and nervous about the road ahead, but I knew I had a great team to support me.

After spending months recovering, I was blessed with a healthy nine months of playing sports. During my sophomore volleyball season, I tore the ACL in my opposite knee. I immediately made an appointment with my favorite person at TCO, Dr. Dieterle. He performed my ACL reconstruction surgery and did amazing work!

Although I am not sure about y future sports career, I know that whenever I choose to play I will be extremely strong! Both surgeries and recoveries made me who I am today. The group of physicians and staff at TCO will make sure you get back to doing what you love in no time!

This is the most wonderful doctor and nurses I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Dr. Arntson did my surgery and within five weeks I felt like I had a new lease on life. I’m more active now than I have been in years. Dr. Arntson gave me my life back, as did the wonderful staff and the hospital, my physical therapist, Kristina, and the staff at the clinic. Thank you to everyone. It was an incredibly great experience.

I had troubles with bone-on-bone knee pain. I went through an exam to determine the requirements for a knee replacement. I met with Dr. Bircher and he explained the whole process and procedure. He successfully repaired my right knee and I am completely satisfied with the great care and post-op therapy. Dr. Bircher’s friendly attitude, positivity, and confidence helped with the process. I am now considering when to have my left knee replacement done too. Thank you, Dr. Bircher!

I was referred to TCO by my primary care doctor and chiropractor. My leg and knee hurt so much, I could hardly walk. I saw Dr. Bircher at TCO and what a great surgeon he is. From my first visit to after surgery, he always explained what to expect with my total knee replacement. I am now three months after surgery and my knee is doing great. Dr. Bircher said there would be pain and there was! But now it is so much better. That is all in the past. Thank you, Dr. Bircher.

Dr. Edward Szalapski is absolutely amazing. I have been going to him since 2004. My husband and sister have also had numerous surgeries performed by him. His care team Jessica, Joe (retired now), and Tracy are the best in the business. They all work together so well and treat all patients with the utmost respect. Dr. Szalapski also has a great bedside manner and tells it like it is. He is very thorough with what will be done, expected recovery time, and long-term prognosis. He truly cares about you, the patient, not about lining his pocketbook. If you are in need of an Orthopedic Surgeon, look no further. Dr. Szalapski will take great care of you.

Dr. Schmiesing provided excellent care from start to finish. He was sure I understood everything by the time I left each appointment and I never had doubt in the process. Dr. Schmiesing performed a successful surgery and even though we weren’t sure what he would find, he persevered what he could and made sure I came out of that surgery with the repair I needed. My recovery was as expected. His care team continued to follow-up and provide remedies as I needed them. Zach and Sydney also provided excellent care and were sure to return calls in a very timely manner. I would highly recommend Dr. Andrew Schmiesing and his team for your needs. You will not regret your decision.

I cannot say enough about the wonderful care I received at Twin Cities Orthopedics. From the reception staff, to the nurses, therapists and the great job Dr. Lewis did on my knee, it was a great experience overall. I couldn’t imagine having anyone else do my right knee surgery when I have that replaced. I would highly recommend TCO, and especially Dr. Lewis, to everyone I know who is looking to have any surgical procedure done.

Dr. Cooper repaired my knee in 2016 when I was 19 years old. I first injured my knee when I was 17. I continued to play sports even though I was told I had torn my ACL. I can count eight different events over the two years where I popped something and couldn’t move my leg for days. Dr. Cooper told my family it would be a two hour surgery. He got in there and really took his time, with my meniscus in particular. The surgery took almost 5 hours because of his dedication to giving me the best treatment possible. I remember him telling me how he sutured my meniscus together piece by piece instead of just cutting it out because I was so young. Knock on wood, my knee has been incredible after I completed physical therapy. I am forever grateful for the amazing work Dr. Cooper did for me. Thank you so much!!

Roughly one year ago, in January 2022, my wife Martha broke her right leg in an accident at home. Dr. Omar was the on-call physician who was able to correct her right leg. Dr. Omar was very impressive and gave us confidence that he would be able to set the broken bone and that her recovery would be long, but she will be able to get back normal activities eventually.

Dr. Omar communicated exceptionally well and made us confident that, with good follow up and physical therapy, Martha would have a normal recovery. Martha is strong willed and determined to not be stopped by her condition. At every follow up visit, Dr. Omar continued to encourage her and explained in detail how well she was progressing. Patients need confidence and assurance that their condition will improve. Through his communication style, Dr. Omar made us believe and understand that all would be well. With PT and hard work, she is totally recovered in one year and doing great. Thanks Dr. Omar!

After my surgery and through an infection I developed, I had the pleasure of working with Rod Youngdahl, PT, OCS. He was a great physical therapist and person to work with. He made the process very comfortable and helped me pushed me to recovery. I have zero complaints working with Roderick and would recommend him to anyone that is in need.