Patient Testimonials

I was a senior at Lake Superior State University playing division 1 college hockey for the school when, during a hockey game, I tore my ACL. The injury ended my season right away, being already halfway done with it. I still had an opportunity to play after college and needed to get back before camps started in the summer for exposure. My family doctor referred me to Dr. Andrea Saterbak with TCO with high remarks for her work. My first impressions during a pre-surgical meeting absolutely blew me away and I knew she would get me back. Dr. Saterbak and her team along with all of the TCO staff gave me all the tools and support to bounce back after the injury that ended my college career. Dr. Saterbak’s reputation is remarkable and I learned firsthand why. After sticking with her protocol and procedures, I am back to feeling where I was before my injury, if not better. I am able to make it to camps and tryouts to continue my hockey career. Dr. Saterbak and her team resemble exactly what it means to be professional, knowledgeable, and compassionate. Thank you to Dr. Saterbak and her team for helping me get back to playing the game I love.

To Whom It May Concern:

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the staff at Twin Cities Orthopedics. On May 22, 2020, I tore a hamstring tendon while on a run. This injury resulted in me requiring surgery to reattach the tendon and the accompanying physical therapy. My experience with TCO has always been positive, from the staff at the front desk, to the doctors and their staff, to the physical therapists. On this occasion though, my experience with the clinic seemed to be even more positive in many ways, with several of the staff, one in particular that I would like to bring attention to, going “Above And Beyond” what I have come to expect.

The day after my injury I walked (was wheeled actually) into the urgent care at the Burnsville facility. I was seen very quickly, and the physicians assistant was thorough in assessing my injury and ordered an MRI for my leg. I went downstairs to the MRI imaging office and was warmly greeted there by Aga, who told me that due to it being the Saturday of Memorial day weekend, it would be nearly impossible to get the required pre-authorization for the MRI from my insurance company until Tuesday. She said she was going to make some phone calls as well as put in the request electronically and would contact me when she had more information. No more than 15 minutes later, she phoned me saying that no one was available at the insurance company, but she would continue to try and at the very least contact me Tuesday morning when she should have an approval and a time available for an MRI. I asked Aga if there was a way I could schedule an MRI prior to having authorization, if I paid for it myself and then received reimbursed from the insurance company once approved. She informed me that would be a possibility, but the availability of locations would be limited with that option. She said she would look into it. She phoned me about 10 minutes later and said nothing was available that day but something might open up for Sunday. The next morning she phoned me with a time available that afternoon at Edina. I was thrilled she was able to make that happen and get the process going. This only could have happened because of Aga’s determination to swiftly move forward with my care.

The staff conducting the MRI were very professional and went out of their way to see I was comfortable during my MRI, as there were very few ways I could position my body where I wasn’t in a high degree of pain. I also was pleasantly surprised to see Aga was working the desk at the MRI imaging office. She escorted my wife to the billing office to pay for the procedure. Afterwards she said she had been looking at available appointments with Dr. Holm, who I normally see at TCO, but that he didn’t have anything available on Tuesday. I told her I preferred Dr. Holm, but considering the pain I was in I wanted to have results as soon as possible and I would see a different Doctor if I had to to get in as early as possible. Aga, on her initiative, texted Dr. Holm’s patient coordinator Kelly to see if I could be fit in. Kelly responded immediately, on a Sunday afternoon, saying to come in at 1:00 PM on Tuesday. This coordination truly made me feel cared for and important.

On Tuesday Dr. Holm gave me the results of the MRI and as usual, thoroughly explained my options, as well as expected recovery times and recommendations for how I could most thoroughly return to my pre-injury status. On his recommendation I decided to have a surgical repair. He said it would be best to perform this surgery as soon as possible, and he turned me over to his patient coordinator Kelly. Kelly set me up with a surgery time in two days, and coordinated an immediate Covid 19 test, as well as a fitting for a leg brace so that I would have the brace available before my surgery. She was extremely efficient.

On Thursday I had the surgery. The entire surgery staff, from the admitting nurses, to the nurses in the surgery and recovery rooms, the anesthesiologist, the nurse anesthetist, and of course Dr. Holm, were all very professional and accommodating, as well as very thorough in explaining how my surgery would unfold that day. On my discharge my wife and I both were very thoroughly briefed on what medications I should be taking and how often, what activities I should and should not be doing, and other important general information. The following day I received a very nice follow up call from the nursing staff, and the following Monday, a follow up from Dr. Holm’s physicians assistant Aaron, as well as another phone call from Aga to tell me that my insurance company had indeed approved the MRI.

I am early in my recovery, but considering the good results I have had in the past with Dr. Holm, along with what appears to be very professional therapy so far with my physical therapist Jonathan, I am quite confident I will make a full recovery. Getting through this whole process from my injury on Friday to surgery the following Thursday would not have been possible without Aga, Kelly, and Dr. Holm. I was so appreciative to get the recovery process going as soon as possible. I don’t normally write letters expressing my pleasure with services, as I expect professional service as a matter of course, but because of my experience in this case, specifically with Aga, who went way beyond what I would ever expect, I wanted to express my full gratitude.

Thank You Sincerely,
David E.

We thought we understood concussions. They seem pretty common in athletes—almost a rite of passage. You get hit in the head, have a headache for a few days, rest, and resume play. No big deal. Wow, were we wrong!

Abby’s concussion affected absolutely every corner of her life. For five months, school, friendships, family, free time, sleep, nutrition, exercise and volleyball were impacted. This invisible injury took her life on detour we wish on no one. She couldn’t make it through a full day of school. Her friends and teammates didn’t understand so her relationships suffered. She couldn’t sleep but was exhausted by everything. Her headaches and confusion made it difficult to function. Volleyball, of course, came to a slamming halt. This concussion was evil. It was isolating. It was long. It was consuming. And, as a parent, helping your child navigate through a head injury was like traveling in the dark without a map. We didn’t know what to do to help Abby recover. There were days we weren’t sure IF she would recover.
It was clear we needed help. Fast.

We got that amazing help and expertise from Chris Ashton, the Concussion Program Coordinator at TCO. He, along with Dr. David Olson, and physical therapists Mike Steiner and Jake Wendt worked together to put a recovery program together to help Abby heal. Chris started by carefully assessing Abby to determine the type of concussion she had, taught us about the complexities of concussions and put together a comprehensive program to help Abby move forward. He patiently answered absolutely every question we had that first day and throughout the entire recovery process. Every email and every phone call were met with Chris’ calm, confident advice. He rode every “roller coaster moment” with us and was a positive beacon for us throughout Abby’s treatment.  Chris coordinated vestibular and ocular therapy with Mike and Jake at TCO’s Physical Therapy locations in both Eagan and Woodbury. Mike and Jake share an expertise in concussion recovery that is hard to find elsewhere. This was not your average-joe physical therapy. They put together a program to help Abby’s eyes work together again to improve her balance, headaches, and fatigue. Although the exercises were definitely not fun, Abby enjoyed working with both therapists. They made her smile while encouraging hard work and pushing her brain to heal.

Fast forward five months. Abby was just cleared to play volleyball again. School has improved, she’s sleeping well, and she’s able to spend time with friends. She got her life back. Thank you, Chris, Dr. Olson, Mike, and Jake for giving us a road map to recovery! Thank you for standing with us—especially on the bad days. Thank you for sharing your amazing expertise to give Abby the opportunity to continue pursuing her dreams. You. Are. Awesome.

We made an appointment with Dr. Cole a couple of days after my daughter sustained her first concussion while playing lacrosse. Quite a surprise when we got in the next day! We met with Fred initially and he ran my daughter through a series of questions and tests. He was confident in the fact that she had a concussion but Dr. Cole would confirm it. Dr. Cole did confirm the concussion and provided us with a game plan that allowed for my daughter to get back to normal activity as soon as possible. We did physical therapy with Michael Steiner at TCO Eagan and he was fantastic overall. Whether it was how much he cared for my daughter or continually letting us know what he’s seeing and how we should react to it. In addition to PT, my daughter needed vision therapy as well. Dr. Cole and Michael Steiner suggested eye therapy with Dr. Trent Cole in order to bring my daughter’s eyes back to normal. The care provided by all three doctors was phenomenal and I would highly recommend going to Dr. Cole if you’re ever in the position we were.

Dr. Meisterling, I wanted to thank you for reconstructing my ACL and allowing me to return to sport for my senior year of high school. You repaired my ACL in October 2016, and I missed my Junior year of hockey and the first half of my baseball season. My senior year, I returned to hockey for Mahtomedi and we made a good run at the state tourney, losing to Orono 5-4 in the semifinals. Then for baseball, we won the class AAA state tournament at Target Field in my last high school game ever. Returning to sports for senior year was an important goal for me, and I crushed it. I really came back stronger than I was before the injury, which is a result of your surgery and my awesome rehab at TCO. That experience was tough to go through at the time, but your calm and professional demeanor assured me I would get back at it! I am currently a freshman at UW- Eau Claire in the Pre-Physical Therapy program. Also, I am running in the Eau Claire marathon on May 5th, and my knee has felt amazing during training. Just wanted to give you an update on my progress and say thanks for everything you have done.

As a lifetime athlete who competes weekly in various sports, I was very apprehensive regarding the prospect of knee surgery. My first thought was “I’m not going to be able to do what I love or compete at a high level”. I met with Dr. Eggert and my attitude and prospects changed quickly for the better. Dr. Eggert was very calm, positive and straightforward on what my surgery would look like, recovery and long term outlook. Having done many surgeries of this type (and much more complex), his calmness and positive outlook helped me relax immensely. Also, knowing Dr. Eggert had worked with professional sports teams also gave me confidence in his expertise. After my initial consult I was scheduled for surgery shortly after and the procedure was very quick and painless. I was walking within days and in 2 weeks I was exercising at 70%, in 3-4 weeks I was back playing tennis, running and basketball and SMILING the whole time! Now, 2 months have passed and I have 100% recovery, speed, strength and flexibility. I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Eggert to help anybody with their surgery needs!

In 2009, I tore my ACL playing soccer. In the late winter of 2019, I tore my ACL again and I saw Dr. Barry. The first week it was painful to walk and then after it popped it felt like nothing happened. I saw Dr. Barry before and after the MRI and we talked about the options I had. He gave me three options, and two of them was not getting surgery but also not being as active as I am now. As a surgeon who usually wants to do surgery, he wanted the best for me in my lifestyle. He asked me what I thought, he also asked me how I felt about what he said. Dr. Barry is a kind-hearted doctor that wants the best for you. He came in before my surgery and asked if I was ready and gave me a lot of time to ask any and all questions. Dr. Barry knew exactly what he was going to do and explained it clearly. One thing I really like is that he works very closely with the physical therapist (PT) and the PT’s keep in contact with him. Dr. Barry’s team is professional but kind and really just wants the best for you. I would have Dr. Barry do another surgery if I needed it. He is really great and honest.

Dr. Lewis – We want to thank you and your staff for all you did for Mason in surgery on March 13th enabling him to be able to set out on two goals he had going in to that day. He had a personal goal to be back for his first game of his senior football season, August 30th. He also had a team goal to be playing in the Prep Bowl.  He was able to achieve both of those goals, not missing a snap along the way as Lakeville North’s starting left guard. Below is a picture from that first game and then two from their state championship win.

With all of our thanks,

Brian & Jennifer M.

My introduction to Dr. Larson is rather unique as I’m not a runner nor do I compete in major athletic events. However, one of my hobbies is running agility with my Great Dane, Tess.

After two years of training, we were finally ready for our first competitive Agility Trial.   It was November 2014, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Honestly, it was the perfect set up – our home course with my instructor at my side and our breeder videotaping my first run. After walking the course and waiting our turn, it was finally time. Wait, wait, wait for the buzzer.  Bzzzz…and we were off… Tess was over the first jump, and heading for the dog walk when she realized I wasn’t running next to her. I had tripped right out of the start gate. How embarrassing, I thought, as a hundred people were watching. I got myself up, and hobbled along the dog walk then realized something was really wrong. I had to be carried off the course and I almost passed out from the pain.

Three weeks later, I found myself sitting in Dr. Larson’s office as he explained that my hamstring had torn off the bone and surgery was inevitable. I was pretty determined that I could live without the surgery, but Dr. Larson helped me realize that there was no realistic reason not to have the surgery. My fears dissipated as he explained that even with my immobilizer, I could be driving within weeks, hobbling around on crutches for about a month and starting physical therapy within six weeks. Dr. Larson had to squeeze me into his surgery schedule at the last minute, as the time sensitivity of hamstring repair is so imperative.  That was Dec 16, 2014.

I graduated from physical therapy in Jan. 2016, thanks to Ashley at Viverant who built my confidence as well as my hamstring muscle. In February, 2016, fourteen months post-­?surgery, I ran in my first competitive Agility Trial! I was so nervous, but I didn’t fall! There was a huge standing ovation when we finished!

I shed tears of joy and gratitude and I am “back to normal!”

Thank you, Dr. Larson.

Dr. Crandall performed surgery on my left broken and deformed arm 30 years ago when I was a scared 13 year old. He did an excellent job with compassion. I will always be grateful!