Patient Testimonials

My broken arm did not heal correctly without surgery, so I contacted Dr. Bakker. Dr. Bakker is confident, caring and skilled. He knows how to talk to you directly without wasting time but somehow makes you feel like he is not in a rush. His confidence helped me relax and feel comfortable with all decisions. Best of all, the surgery was a success. He even called me a day or two after surgery to see how I was doing. Dr. Bakker’s team was also very efficient and supportive. In person, on the phone and through email or text reminders.

It has been about 5 months since my accident and I have been to 6 different TCO clinics for different reasons. All of them have been professional, clean, and efficient. Making appointments were easy and I rarely had to wait very long to get in. This includes physician visits, PT, CT, etc. at Plymouth, Blaine, Edina, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove and surgery in Eagan. I have nothing but good things to say about the facilities and staff.

I cannot express enough gratitude to Dr. Bakker and his care team. Throughout the process, the team kept me informed and worked with my schedule (and my terrible memory) to ensure that appointments worked out. Dr. Bakker was able to solve a 12 year old injury with a surgery that, without exaggeration, has been life changing. I had very limited motion for over 12 years and now have almost full motion of my right (dominant) hand and arm. I am so thankful and grateful for this. I would recommended TCO for their incredible staff. I want to thank everyone – physical therapists, receptions, doctors, surgeons, radiologists and the care teams behind each doctor – for providing me with the best service in the Midwest and quite literally changing my daily life for the better.

I slipped and broke my elbow in the last spring snowfall. I fell after business hours, so I waited to visit TCO Orthopedic Urgent Care until the following morning, in hopes of seeing someone who would really know what I needed. Then came Dr. Nemanich and his wonderful PA, Joshua Bennington! They went above and beyond to take care of me. Dr. Nemanich is capable, compassionate, knowledgeable, gentle, and kind. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that he’s been recognized as a top orthopedic surgeon, but I found him to be so much more than that. He’s a man of integrity.

I broke my right arm on a Friday evening. This break was quite severe, it damaged tendons and muscles as well. After a visit to the emergency room, I was given Dr. Peter Sanders‘ name at TCO for my follow-up. I was lucky with this recommendation! Dr. Sanders explained the break and impact on other structures. He clearly described the steps from pre-op to post-op, including expected recovery chances. Throughout my appointments, I felt confident that Dr. Sanders and his team at TCO would ensure I had the best recovery possible. Three months later, I already have the mobility and strength to do any daily activity task. I feel blessed to have been under his care and highly recommended him. Thank you so much Dr. Sanders for your excellent care!

In May of 2020, our six year old son, Finn, fell and injured his arm while playing at our neighbor’s house. It was obvious that something was wrong as it appeared to our untrained eye that he dislocated his elbow. We rushed him over to the ER at M Health Ridges where he was diagnosed with a break above the elbow that would require surgery and two pins. It was obviously a traumatic experience for him and us, which was exacerbated by the fact that only one parent was allowed to be with him due to COVID protocols.

Finn’s mom was introduced to Dr. Edward Szalapski, who was on call that evening. His calming presence and confidence was reassuring – that he could fix the problem and get Finn back to being a normal, active boy. The surgery happened that evening and Finn was home the same night. The follow up care from Dr. Szalapski and his associates at TCO Edina-Crosstown was fantastic. They walked us through what to expect as Finn’s recovery progressed. Most importantly, they put Finn’s mind at ease every step of the way, from putting on the hard cast, to removing the pins and then getting back to regular activities. Today, Finn’s arm is doing great. He was back to playing baseball by August of 2020, as well as swimming, soccer and wrestling with his brother. Thanks TCO and Dr. Szalapski!

On February 17th, I fell and injured my arm. I had surgery on February 23rd. I am extremely pleased with my results thus far. The pain has been reduced to minimal, my range of motion is better than expected, the repair looks fantastic and the scar is hairline. I could not be more pleased and am very thankful that Dr. Bakker was available to fix me up!

Last year at gymnastics practice, I dislocated my elbow and tore all of the ligaments in it. It was the third day of practice for my freshman year of gymnastics. I was unable to participate in any of the season. I tried going to physical therapy for three months but it wasn’t helping and the stability of my elbow wasn’t there. I found out that I could have surgery to repair the ligaments but the recovery time was 10-14 months long. I really wanted to avoid being out for that long, so I decided to try therapy for another month. It still wasn’t helping. In March, I decided to have Tommy John surgery.

Dr. Meletiou performed my surgery and I went back to therapy for eight months after. My therapist, Jacob Wendt was very helpful and was my favorite therapist that I had. The total recovery time was 13 months. I was able to get all of my old gymnastics skill back within the year and mid way through sophomore gymnastics season I was able to compete again. Thank you TCO!