Patient Testimonials

Want to thank Dr. Szalapski for his great care of my rotator cuff issue in my shoulder. He’s a magician with a cortisone shot, bringing me great relief the few times I’ve been to see him.  Highly recommend this caring and professional Dr.

I met Dr. Szalapski and had my first hip replaced at 42 years old – scared to death! It went perfectly and no limp. I had my knee replaced at around 50 years old and my other hip done a year later. Last year, I had my shoulder replaced and was told I may only get 70% of my range of motion back – I got 100%. I would never think of anybody but Dr. Szalapski to perform my surgeries when I have had the best care and absolutely no complications!! His support team and Jessica are the best also! Bonus he has a good sense of humor.

My primary care provider suggested Dr. Kelly as she had worked with him for years, and said he was the best with shoulder repair. I met him and some of his team in 2017. I decided to follow the physical therapy route, and waited for another year. An entire year after our first meeting, my torn rotator cuff started to interrupt my sleep and I was having more bad days then good. I went back and met with him. He asked me, “are you ready to do this surgery?” I asked him, “are you?” He then told me he was ready last year. I still laugh about that. I had my surgery on 12/27/18. The pain management plan was very clearly laid out for my husband and myself to follow when we got home. I am so grateful for that thought out plan, a sheet of paper with a graph to follow. I think it made a challenging situation much more manageable. The recovery went better than I thought, and I was back to light duty work in three weeks. I respect Dr. Kelly and his team of compassionate care givers. Thanks for a new chance at life.

Right shoulder is perfect. Dr. O’Keefe is an excelled surgeon. I will be having him do by left shoulder in the near future. Recovery was easy.

I came to Dr. Lervick with pain in my left shoulder. Having had pain there before due to a C5/C6 ruptured disc in 2004, we were not sure about the source of pain. He ordered MRI’s for both my neck and shoulder to determine the source. A full thickness rotator cuff tear was discovered but also stenosis in two levels of the cervical spine. After consulting with the spine surgeon who had performed the fusion on the ruptured level, the decision was to first repair the shoulder, which turned out to be the true source of pain. Everything from preparatory pre-surgery therapy to the surgery itself and all post-surgical care including adequate pain control during those first three weeks are just a few positives to mention. His assistants, Andy and Ann are the best too! Dr. Lervick’s bedside manner, all options explained, genuine interest and care as to how I was doing left enough impression upon me to make sure I get at least Dr. Lervick’s contact number into the hands of anyone who tells me they are experiencing shoulder pain or immobility. I am a shuttle van driver for a car dealership so I meet many people over the course of a year. I’ve become a walking advertisement not only for Dr. Lervick, but also Dr. Jeffrey Dick at TCO, the spine surgeon referred to above who has performed three nerve decompressions and two fusions on my spine. Kudos to both men and their entire staffs!

My superior capsular reconstruction by Dr. Norberg was great! The surgery was very successful and I am very happy with the results.

Thank you Dr. Wetter and your assistants. They did a great job, no long waits, everyone was very nice and professional. I highly recommend. Carmen B.

I first met Dr. Murar in the Fairview Southdale Hospital ER in early February of 2018. My husband brought me in after a fall that resulted in a traumatic injury to my shoulder. Dr. Murar explained the extent and seriousness of my injury and that because of the type of fracture, he recommended a reverse total shoulder replacement. He offered me support and encouragement in the face of such a big surgery.

My family told me how generous Dr. Murar was with his time when he met with them after surgery. He made sure that they had all their questions answered and he did not seem in a hurry. My daughter was impressed at how encouraged I was after talking through everything with Dr. Murar in the ER. Clearly, Dr. Murar is able to communicate in a difficult and serious situation and help his patients understand the best plan for the best outcome.

Throughout my recovery I always felt that Dr. Murar was available and accessible if I had questions or concerns. This was especially important to me during the early days of my recovery, I never felt like I was left to myself to try to figure things out. The entire TCO team – Dr. Murar along with care coordinator Kelly, TCO physical therapists Kevin and Nate gave me the support, guidance and tools that I needed to keep making progress.

Today I am almost at the one year mark since my surgery and I am strong and have returned to a full and active lifestyle, spending time with my husband, children, grandchildren and friends.

I am very grateful for what Dr. Murar has done for me and I highly recommend Dr. Murar to anyone who has an orthopedic need.

Barbara A.

I broke my collarbone right before Christmas and there were other health issues that caused me to fall. While they weighed heavily on my mind, Dr. Bakker and his prompt, professional, and expert care did not. His care coordinator scheduled surgery right away. Throughout the whole process, Dr. Bakker engaged with me as a person rather than an object which some practitioners can do sometimes without even realizing it. He answered all my questions with patience and gave me the confidence that all would be well. It was! I am healing fast and following his aftercare plan to a tee because….I trust him. He also let me know about his observations about the health of my bones. I was able to arrange for DEXA scan promptly and begin to find other measures to avoid further complications. Thank you, Dr. Bakker!

In a consultation, it was determined that I needed a reverse total right shoulder replacement. I have never heard of this procedure and was quite apprehensive. The very personable Dr. Conner and Shawn, his care coordinator, were very reassuring regarding the surgery, rehab, and recovery. And it all went as smoothly as they had predicted. I’m very thankful for Dr. Conner’s surgical skill and for the excellent follow-up care by the rehab staff. I have now regained nearly full range of motion and strength in that shoulder and arm with no pain.