Patient Testimonials

Dr. Garry Banks has been my back surgeon since the start of my back troubles around 15+ years ago. He is a very good doctor, and he takes good care of your needs. I don’t think I could have found a better doctor to take care of my back needs.

Dr. Andrew Ockuly is one of the most professional and genuinely caring doctors I’ve seen. From the moment I walked in with low back and hip issues, he took the time to listen, ask the right questions, and act quickly. He made sure to check on previous concerns, explained everything clearly, and never made me feel rushed. His attention to detail and thoughtful approach gave me confidence that I was in good hands. It’s rare to find a doctor who combines expertise with such a compassionate bedside manner. I truly felt heard and cared for. I highly recommend Dr. Andrew Ockuly for anyone looking for a physician who puts their patients first.

I suffer from Spondylolisthesis. I tried everything for two years: physical therapy, chiropractic care, strength training, Pilates, and steroid injections. I pretty much took two ibuprofen multiple times a day for two years until the pain got to be too much. Dr. Deal and Nathan walked me through my options and gave me all the time I needed to ask my questions. Six months ago, I had a L4-L5 spinal fusion. Even though there was stiffness following my surgery, the pain was gone immediately. I was up walking around slowly on day 1.

Within two weeks I was outside taking walks. Every day brought new joy, like getting out of bed and being able to stand straight while walking. Now, I do not need to rely on pain medication every day. I can bend and walk without pain in my back, glutes, or down my legs. I only wish I would have done this sooner. Dr. Deal has been kind and patient. Whenever I had questions, he explained things in a way that was easy to understand.

In 2020, I had an artificial C6/7 cervical disc replacement surgery done by Dr. DuBois. My younger brother had the same procedure done by Dr. DuBois a couple of years before that. Because of the successful surgery and the great experience my brother had, I trusted him completely. Other doctors and rehab therapists had told me I’d have to have a fusion, but I am so glad I listened to my brother instead and had the disc replacement done. With the pain I’d had in my neck and arm for the previous two years, I could no longer do the activities I liked to do such as running and cross-country skiing even with physical therapy. The last few months before surgery, my disc herniated, and I was in excruciating pain which is what caused me to go to Dr. DuBois.

Dr. DuBois’ surgery took all that pain away and the recovery was a breeze. No neck braces and minimal rehab needed! After 6 months, I was running again and was even able to run a half marathon only a year later. This was my goal after just turning 50! Dr. DuBois did an excellent job on my neck surgery, and I will not hesitate to go back if I ever have cervical problems again. He listens, cares, and is very competent and thorough with his work. I would also highly recommend the disc replacement surgery if it’s an option over a fusion. I had a much easier recovery and more mobility in my neck compared to my friends who have had fusions.

I had been having numbness and pain in my left arm and stiffness in my neck for months. After an MRI, it was determined that I had a bulging disc in my neck and foraminal stenosis. I received the cortisone shots, but unfortunately, they didn’t work for me. Dr. Deal performed a C5-6 Cervical Disk Arthroplasty on 2/12/2025 and from the minute I woke up from the surgery the pain and numbness were gone. Everyone on the team was great and explained everything to me. I was pretty nervous, and Dr. Deal and his team made me feel comfortable. I went home a few hours after the surgery and the follow up care has been great. I’m a pilot and Dr. Deal, Nathan, and Emily have been very helpful getting me the paperwork that I need to get back to work. Thanks a lot.

I am just around 13 days post op from a cervical spine fusion done by Dr. Green, and I just wanted to take a few moments now that I am feeling better to share my experience. First, for a little background, I have PSA and have battled this condition for well over a decade now. My joints have been swiftly degenerating, and this has meant many specialists and procedures done that ultimately end up in major surgical intervention. I have had many unpleasant interactions with orthopedic doctors over the years, which oftentimes felt like dismissal of my symptoms, pain, general lack of empathy/sympathy while my life, career and ability to function was crumbling around me because of a medical condition I had no control over.

I was referred to Dr. green for surgery as there was nothing more that could be done by my regular Orthopedic doctor to alleviate the symptoms that were horribly diminishing my quality of life. I was unsure what to expect walking into a new orthopedic specialist, but I thought it would likely be pretty much the same as past experiences. Initially it was just a plain pleasant encounter, review of MRI, discussion of symptoms, checking some ROM, and what a surgery would look like. I was informed I needed to quit smoking before the surgery could be ordered, which I agreed to and managed to accomplish right away. Surgery was scheduled and prepared for. Here is what is relevant about my experience with Dr. Green. Around 6 pm the evening before my surgery my phone rings and it is Dr. Green checking in on me to see how I was feeling about the surgery the next day. I thought my goodness what a very thoughtful thing to do! That simple gesture really alleviated about 80% of the stress I was feeling going into my surgery. This man took time away from his evening, likely off duty to check in on a patient. I have never had a surgeon do that before. Once at the hospital Dr. Green spoke to me concisely and thoughtfully about the procedure, all the while reassuring me things were going to be ok. And they were ok. I woke up and once again he was checking in on me and asked if I would like him to call my mom and let her know how things went. My mom spoke very highly of that conversation after I was discharged the following day. I know he didn’t have to personally make that phone call, generally a nurse could have done that. It was above and beyond what I was expecting. Another thing I really want to highlight about Dr. Green is his return to the hospital Saturday to check on me again personally before determining if I could be discharged. Why I think this is important to note is that my nursing staff told me that Dr. Green has become very well respected by the hospital team as one of the few surgeons that does this. They see a lot of Orthopedic surgeons in that hospital wing and I could see that his personal investment into the care of his patients had seemed to have left a meaningful impression on the recovery team that was caring for me. He has chosen to set a good example of compassionate care in a way I had rarely seen through my journey through a chronic lifelong condition. I have nothing but good things to say about my care under Dr. Green who has through his personal actions earned my high regard, trust, and respect. Thank you, Dr. Green!

I had lumbar L4-5 fusion surgery performed by Dr. Eric Deal.  The care that I received from Dr. Deal, his PA-C, Nathan Marcus, and the entire TCO team (including the surgery center and physical therapy) was excellent! The day of my surgery, even though it was an early morning, Dr. Deal still checked on me at 8:00PM in my surgery center room before going home that day, I was very impressed!

I just visited Dr. Deal for my one year check and the sciatica pain (among other issues) that I saw him for initially is now gone!
I can highly recommend Dr. Deal and his team!

When my troubles began, I was 3 weeks into paid parental leave in July. I was looking forward to an exciting summer spending time with my newborn baby daughter. One morning I was hit with a crippling pain that began in my lower back and shot down my left leg. I called my wife at work and told her something was wrong and to come home immediately. After 2 visits with my primary doctor, we were referred to TCO and made an appointment with Dr. Nathan Wanderman. At my first appointment, he saw things in my MRI that others had not. It turned out I had a degenerative disc and a bulging disc that was pinching the nerve that ran down my left leg. I was barely able to walk without assistance. Dr. Wanderman was able to get me in for surgery by September and performed a double fusion surgery. He performed a Lumbar 4 – Sacral 1 ALIF and 2 days later performed Lumbar 4 Sacral 1 PLDF. I am so grateful for what Dr. Wanderman has given back to me. I walk with no problems. I’m able to hold my baby again. For being such a scary time in my life, he and his staff really made my wife and I feel that we were making the right decision. Speaking of his staff, I was nearly a weekly caller prior to and after surgery with questions. They were always prompt in returning my call no matter the question and were always happy to answer any concerns my wife and I had. Long story short, Dr. Nathan Wanderman and his staff have given me my life back, and my wife and I couldn’t be more grateful! Thank you again to everyone who made this surgery a success.

Dr. Eric Deal performed a microdiscectomy on me to repair a herniated disc in the L5 – S1 region. The result was an almost immediate relief from the pain I had been suffering from for months! During my initial consultation with Dr. Deal, he presented my diagnosis and treatment options in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner. I felt comfortable choosing microdiscectomy as the best option for me. Emily, Dr. Deal’s care coordinator, explained the scheduling process and pre-surgery requirements and provided all necessary information and documents. She took time to answer all of my questions and made sure that I was comfortable with everything. The outpatient surgery took place at TCO Eagan. The entire process at that location was very thorough. They were great! I hope to any additional surgeries, but if needed, I am 100% confident in Dr. Deal and his team. I highly recommend them!

When I awoke following fusion surgery, I had nearly full use of my arm and hand again. Recovery went exactly as forecasted, and I consider the surgery a major success. Dr. Garry Banks is excellent, explaining the procedure and what to expect clearly. I highly recommend Dr. Banks and his PA Jessica Staples.