Patient Testimonials

Dr. Ockuly has been a God send for our family! We have two daughters who are both athletes and at various times in their sports journeys, they have been injured. We met Dr. Ockuly when our younger daughter was mis-diagnosed by another provider and we sought a second opinion. Not only did he set the record straight, but he worked with us to try and rehab her with her injury before going right to the surgery option. After the injury happened again, we knew she had to undergo surgery to fix it; he was so thorough, kind and understanding. Later, our older daughter injured her knee, and we went straight to Dr. Ockuly. Again, he was able to put her mind at ease right away, ordered physical therapy, and an MRI and talked openly and honestly about next steps and what needed to be done to get her back on the field. We would highly recommend him for athletes and families!

I had shoulder surgery performed by Dr. Ockuly after an injury, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the care I received. From the initial consultation to post-surgery follow-ups, Dr. Ockuly was professional, knowledgeable, and incredibly reassuring. He explained everything clearly, made me feel confident in the process. He treated me with care and respect.

Thanks to his skill and attention to detail, my surgery was a success. I am now well on my way to a full recovery with plans to return to college hockey next season. I highly recommend Dr. Ockuly to anyone in need of orthopedic care. His expertise and dedication made a tough situation much easier to handle.

A shout out to Scott Cichos and Katie Godmare for the excellent physical therapy program they have provided to get me on the way to recovery. They both show their desire to guide you to recovery, obviously are skilled in their profession and are very pleasant to work with. They previously helped me recover from a hamstring tear and I am now in my third month of physical therapy for a torn rotator cuff. My range of motion has greatly improved and getting better every day. Many thanks to both of you for your efforts, I appreciate your outstanding care.  I would be remiss if I did not mention your friendly and efficient staff at your front desk. They have been very helpful with scheduling and anything else I needed. Thanks again to all at Physical Therapy at TCO Vadnais Heights.

Dr. David Anderson, has completed left shoulder arthroscopy, right femur fracture repair & therapeutic injections, ALL with good results! I plan on returning to him for additional treatments. I would highly recommend him to anyone concerning injury and sports medicine!

Dr. TJ Ridley is very knowledgeable and great with both kids and adults. He did a great job explaining what to expect and provided instructions that my son (17) could follow. At each appointment, he always allowed time for questions and listened intently. We will plan to see him again for the inevitable next injury!

I’m not sure anything can prepare you for the moment you hear the news that you’ve torn your ACL and severed your meniscus after a blindside in a football game. Everything I planned for my sophomore year was instantly replaced by a completely unplanned journey. I learned this new journey wouldn’t include football, basketball, or track. It would instead include surgery and crutches, relearning to walk and run, and require regaining the strength to lift any kind of weight with my left leg. I knew it was going to be hard, and I knew the only way to do it was to go through it and ultimately get through it.

My TCO team made up of Dr. Charles Eggert, Jessica, Katelyn, Kyle, Jeff, and Natalie got me through surgery, all my post-op check ins, physical therapy, and an extra 7 months of ACE training to help get me ready to compete again. Throughout my recovery we had a goal of getting me “back by football”. In a very unplanned and intense 10 months of reconstruction and recovery work, on the first day of the 2024 season I was cleared to play football without restriction.

I’m thankful for my body’s ability to be repaired and rehabbed in the way it was. It’s been great to be back out on the field with my teammates this season. As I look back on this last year, I’m thankful for my family, my friends, my Belle Plaine community support, and my TCO team that helped me get to this point in my recovery!

In 2011, my running dreams were put on hold when a knee injury turned into years of frustration and pain. Despite severe pain, MRIs showed no damage, and surgery wasn’t an option. I was forced to stop running for nearly a year, and it was a devastating setback.  I came back determined to run the NYC Marathon, my hometown race. However, by 2021, after a fall during training, I was diagnosed with arthritis and misalignment issues.

I met with TCO’s Dr. Robert LaPrade, and I will never forget finding out I needed surgery. I feared I would never run again. Dr. LaPrade reassured me that with time, everything would be fine and to be patient (not my strong suit). I underwent an osteotomy and spent eight long weeks on crutches. My determination, though, never wavered. After six months of recovery, I was cleared to walk-run, and just three weeks later, I finished the Boston Marathon in six hours!

Now, 19 months after surgery, I qualified for Boston with a 3:37 at the Erie Marathon, just shy of my PR. I’m glad I listened to Dr. LaPrade and had my surgery, instead of waiting and making it worse. If I hadn’t had surgery when I did, I probably wouldn’t be running anymore. I still remember the pain at my last race right before surgery. I’m eternally grateful to TCO for the best care so that I could continue my love of running.

If you are having knee pain and want to continue being active, don’t hesitate to get checked out.

Dr. Etasha Bhatt performed surgery on my right ring finger which was badly injured due to a sport-related injury. The surgery went well, and I was on the path to healing soon after. It did not take long to get home, everything was quick and smooth. I was able to get follow-up appointments soon enough. I will recommend her and am happy with the overall care that was provided by TCO.

I turned to TCO after suffering a concussion during section playoffs for soccer. I was worried I would miss the rest of the season. Thanks to the amazing team at TCO Eden Prairie, where they have an incredible concussion center, I was able to return right before the state tournament. During that game, I couldn’t even imagine that two weeks ago I had a concussion. I didn’t feel it all. I felt brand new. We would go on to win our first-ever state title in school history, and I’m so thankful I could be a part of it. My advice to any athlete: Go to TCO. Trust in the process. You’ll be back before you know it.

Sawyer D – Soccer Athlete

Lindsey Brown, ATC evaluated our 15 year old son who was concussed while wrestling at a high school tournament. She spent a great deal of time with us and her genuine concern for his well-being was not just apparent during his visit, but included several calls to follow-up regarding his progress. Lindsey’s knowledge, thoroughness, warmth, along with consultations with Dr. Ryan and the High School ATC, helped ease our concerns tremendously. We highly recommend Lindsey and Dr. Ryan and appreciate them greatly!