Patient Testimonials

My family has been surrounded by support from Twin Cities Orthopedics and their staff this year. My husband had a successful knee replacement with Dr. TJ Panek’s staff in the EXCEL program. The organization, communication, and outstanding care provided from start to finish could not have been better. A knee replacement is not a minor procedure, but his surgery and recovery have been incredibly smooth and supported.

Our older son injured his shoulder during his high school football season. His school’s TCO sports trainer, Julia West, has been supporting him through every step of his recovery as he prepares for his final high school baseball season. Our younger son dislocated his kneecap this fall and initially tried rehab through physical therapy. When it became apparent that therapy wasn’t going to be the solution, Dr. Christopher Larson reassured him that surgery would provide the pathway to getting his goals back on track.

We’ve spent quite a lot of time this year interacting with many healthcare providers at TCO and every experience has felt like we were their main priority. From scheduling to record keeping to PT to imaging to surgical care coordinators to doctors, our experience has been outstanding and the recovery outcomes positive. I would highly recommend TCO to anyone looking for orthopedic care for themselves or their family.

Dr. Michael R Johnson and his team did an exceptional job on my rotator cuff surgery and recovery. The professionalism and care went beyond what I was expecting. I am so appreciative for all their efforts. I highly recommend Dr. Johnson for your health care needs.

I broke my arm in 2010 during a massive snowstorm. Dr. Neil Johnson came to the emergency room and scheduled me for surgery the next morning. The repair involved a plate and 11 screws. After 9 months, the hardware needed to be removed due to a metal allergy, which he was able to access quickly. Dr. Johnson and his team were outstanding during the entire process! Due of his incredible knowledge and surgical expertise, my arm is back to being 100%!

I had surgery for cubital tunnel syndrome with Dr. Moeller and Bridget Greiber. Both are very caring and explained what was going to happen thoroughly. My recovery has been good so far and I am very happy that I chose to have the surgery.

I had both my knees replaced in 2023. It went great! I’m getting my left shoulder replacement surgery in March, then the right one replaced in July. I wanted to give a shout out to Dr. Peterson and his team at TCO Wyoming. I’ve been asking Jenna and Christine many questions and concerns. They’re so great and understanding! When you go through a serious thing like this, it’s reassuring to have someone so knowledgeable and kind. It really helps to make you feel relaxed. Every experience I’ve had at TCO Wyoming has been very good. I know other people including family members that have been there and they feel the same way. Thank you for putting up with me through all of this! You’re all the best!

I fell and broke my right arm. I had just healed from a reverse shoulder replacement on the same arm/shoulder. Dr. Walker did an excellent job and today the X-ray showed the bone had healed. Dr. Walker has an amazing bedside manner and is easy to talk with. I would recommend him to my family and friends! Thank you, Dr. Walker. I am grateful for your expertise and kind demeanor!

When I got hurt a couple of weeks before playoffs, it felt like the entire season flashed in front of me. I went down during a game, landed hard, and immediately felt this sharp, sweeping pain through my shoulder. I knew right away something was wrong. I left the game, and the worst thought hit me: this might be it, and it’s my senior year.

What made it harder was that my grandparents had flown in from Arkansas, my aunts were there from out of state too, my brother was home from college, and within the first ten minutes of the game, I was on the sideline. It was disappointing, but honestly, it was scary too.

We went straight to the ER that night for an X-ray to rule out anything broken. Nothing showed up structurally, which was a relief, but the prognosis still didn’t look good. A follow-up the next day at TCO Urgent Care revealed I had a long road ahead of me and still the potential of my season ending. My mom ended up connecting with someone on Monday at TCO who really understood how important the situation felt. She helped us get an appointment with a TCO shoulder specialist, Dr. Christopher Honstad, the very next day.

That appointment was the first time I felt real hope. Dr. Honstad was calm, straightforward, and understood both the emotional weight and the athletic pressure I was under. He said I needed to start physical therapy as soon as possible, and within 45 minutes, I was meeting the PT who would guide my entire comeback.

Physical Therapist Cody Suchla made a huge difference. He listened, understood what I wanted, and trusted my sense of what I could tolerate. One of the first things I told him was that we were going to win state. He laughed, but every week after that he kept asking how the games went, how the team was doing, and how I was feeling. He was relatable, creative, and made the whole process something I actually looked forward to.

The therapy itself wasn’t easy. I had significant pain, and we progressed slowly, but it was steady. Rehab bike work, strength training, stretching, pushing through certain movements and holding back on others. A week before I was supposed to return, Cody had another staff member build a custom shoulder brace for me. It ended up being exactly what allowed me to get back out there.

Four weeks after the injury, I returned for our game against Zimmerman. I wasn’t 100%, but I was back. Then, we went on a run and won Orono’s first-ever football state championship! Those last few weeks of the season are memories I’ll remember forever. After everything that happened, getting to finish my senior year on the field with my teammates meant everything. A bonus was having the honor to accept the Most Valuable Teammate award following the championship win.

Looking back, I’m so grateful for the care I received and for the caring people who made sure I had a chance to finish what I started. TCO helped give me my season back.

I am very happy with Dr. Lewis. He is very professional and kind. He does such a great job that I continue to have him do my surgeries. So far, he has done a shoulder repair, two knee replacements (right and left), and a hip replacement. Dr. Lewis is an excellent surgeon and a genuinely kind person. His staff is excellent too, especially Libby and Angela.

I broke my collarbone in a cycling accident this fall. Prior to the accident, I had separated my shoulder on the same side as the collarbone break about two decades ago. I had the surgery completed by another physician in the Twin Cities at a different practice. The physician installed a “hook plate” to set my collarbone and repair my separated shoulder. I was taking a huge amount of ibuprofen, Tylenol, and oxycodone to reduce the pain to a manageable level, yet it was still extremely difficult to sleep.

After enduring extraordinary pain for over a month, I decided to get a second opinion from Dr. O’Keefe at Twin Cities Orthopedics. At my first appointment Dr. O’Keefe analyzed my problem quickly and suggested a plan of action. He suggested removing the plate and installing a “tight rope” device to secure my shoulder to relieve pain and increase my range of motion. With my other provider I felt like I fell through the cracks even though I communicated how much pain I was experiencing. This was not the case with Dr. O’Keefe.

Just four days after my surgery with Dr. O’Keefe, I was able to stop taking pain medication entirely. He changed my life because I was finally able to sleep again. I could also feel that my range of motion was not limited by the plate. During my post-op appointment, Dr. O’Keefe’s PA, Beth, took as much time as needed to answer all my questions thoroughly. I would recommend Dr. O’Keefe and his team without hesitation.

My husband and I both had surgery done by Dr. Dwivedi and we couldn’t be more pleased. He is easy to talk to and he did great work! I no longer have numbness in my hands and arms at night. Overall, I am very happy!