Patient Testimonials

Dr. Knowlan and his team are nothing short of amazing. My hips and knees were bone on bone and several friends recommended him to me. Normally these procedures would take 4 years, replacing one per year. I didn’t want to deal with it that long, and Dr. Knowlan did all four procedures within a 9 month period. I’m now able to do things I haven’t been able to do for years, like going up and down stairs, crossing my legs, sitting cross legged, and putting on my socks by myself. These things are no big deal to the average person, but a very big deal to someone who can’t do them. I don’t need my scooter or walker anymore. I couldn’t be happier with the results. The team at Eagan Orthopedic Surgery Center and the EXCEL Care Suites were also amazing. I felt like I was treated like royalty. I would do this again in a heartbeat, though I wouldn’t recommend doing the surgeries so close together. I’ve dealt with chronic pain most of my life since I have scoliosis, so the recovery pain wasn’t that big of a deal for me.

I cannot express my gratitude for TCO and Dr. Nemanich. I am 44 years old and extremely active. My life was put on hold due to the pain of hip osteoarthritis. I was told I needed a hip replacement. I wondered how could this be? I’m too young. So I dealt with the pain for a while until I could hardly walk and limped everywhere. I finally decided to do surgery. Dr. Nemanich was amazing. He explained everything and answered all my questions. I never felt rushed. I scheduled the surgery I was nervous because I had never had a broken bone in my life.

The surgery team met with me and explained everything. When I woke up I was still scared I didn’t know what to expect. I was a little sore and groggy but that arthritic pain in my hip was completely gone! It was crazy! Dr. Nemanich met with me after and explained things to me. Once again, I never felt like he was in a hurry. He answered all my questions. I was scared walking for the first time and the first week was a little rough, but by the second week – wow! I cannot believe the mobility and pain free hip I have! I want all new joints now! I will definitely be coming back to TCO and referring my family and friends. The entire team is amazing, from the people that handle insurance and work paperwork, to the surgeons, and nurses. I am able to live my life without pain again. Thank you TCO!

Dr. Ockuly is an excellent surgeon. He is very personable, knowledgeable, and he listens to his patients. At 6 weeks I’m walking without a cane up and down stairs. The surgical site healed beautifully and I t was not very painful after surgery. Thank you Dr. Ockuly!

I wanted to share my experience for anyone who might be apprehensive or concerned about their surgery.  I was at TCO Eagan on August 7, 2023. My experience from start to finish was incredibly positive. Dr. O’Neill and his entire team, Isabel, Ann and the TCO team went above and beyond my expectations. I did a ton of research on the surgery I wanted and Dr. O’Neill was with me step by step. The preparation well in advance of surgery, information throughout the process, the thoughtfulness and support from the team the entire time was phenomenal. My left hip was bone on bone and I could barely walk to the mailbox. Today, I feel as if my hip is brand new. I am back in the game and my quality of life is amazing. Thank you really isn’t enough to say how grateful I am to Dr. O’Neill and the entire team.

Wow, where do I start. Dr. Arntson was such a professional from day one. He never told me what to do, but explained all possibilities in details so I could make an educated decision. I chose anterior hip replacement surgery. I highly recommend this approach. My recovery was quick and the pain went away quickly too. I had a friend that chose the posterior approach and he said at 4 weeks, I was so much farther ahead on my recovery than he was. I also recommend the NICE ICE suit which made 20 minutes of icing on and off very easy. I’d like to add that the entire staff of nurses, PT’s, X-ray staff, and others that helped me through this were wonderful. They really do care about your health and recovery. Great job, Dr. Arntson and staff.

I had a one-year follow-up appointment with Heidi Bolgren, PA-C after having both of my hips replaced by Dr. Anseth. She gave me a glowing report and said come back in 10 years! A little over a year ago I couldn’t walk more than 20 steps without pain, and I needed to use a walker whenever I left the house (sometimes in the house too).  I couldn’t do much of anything and constantly took Advil/Tylenol. I never slept well at night due to the pain. I waddled when I walked because my legs were uneven lengths.  I turned down many social invitations because I was fairly miserable. My life was on hold.

Now I’m back to playing intense tennis twice a week, actively work in my garden digging up and replanting plants, working out a couple times of week at the gym, going on walks up to 10 miles, and standing for long periods in the kitchen. I’m doing it all without any pain and with legs that are the same length. I have no pain to keep me up at night. I can do any chore/activity around the house. And now I’M the one entertaining friends/family at my family.

Dr. Anseth gave me my life back! And not just any life, but a high-quality, super active one!  I am grateful every single day for the high quality surgical procedures and overall care I received from Team Anseth.  I will whole heartedly recommend his team to anyone who is needing hip or knee surgery.  And I’m thankful he believed that I could handle the second surgery only three months after the first one.

I had a hip replacement on June 20th with Dr. Owen O’Neill in Edina. I choose him because I had had a consultation with another physician and felt unsure about the whole process. When I met with Dr. O’Neill, he took the time to listen to me, explained the procedure thoroughly, and addressed other issues to help me recover better. I left my consultation motivated to get healthier and stronger. My surgery went great, recovery was really good, and I was back at work doing hair a month later! I had the most positive experience and would highly recommend Dr. O’Neill!

For hip replacement, Dr. Knowlan exclusively uses the anterior (front) approach, which offers a faster recovery time than the posterior (rear) approach. A layman’s view is that the posterior approach involves cutting of muscle, while the anterior method allows the surgeon to push muscles aside. The anterior method requires more expertise on the part of the surgeon, because the view of the hip joint is more restricted.

My surgery went unbelievably well and I’m 83 years old. I barely had any pain and took just Tylenol for a few days. I went to a wedding 4 days after surgery (using a walker). Shortly after that I switched to a cane, which I ditched about 2-3 weeks after surgery. I was driving 3 weeks post-surgery, even though surgery was for my right hip.

I began pre-op exercises about a month before surgery and have been doing the post-op exercises (it is now 7 weeks since surgery). It is important to do these to strengthen key muscles since it reduces recovery time. Dr. Knowlan says I don’t have any restrictions for movement now and I can golf.

Dr. Knowlan’s team was wonderful. Also, everyone at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater was very caring. Even the food was excellent!

Dr. Steven Meisterling is an expert at hip replacements. He is intelligent, professional, kind, patient and a fantastic surgeon! He performed a total hip replacement 8 months ago and I am thrilled with the outcome. He and his dedicated team provided me with excellent care. I definitely give him my highest recommendation. I will return to him if I ever need the other hip done.

Dr. Saterbak is one of the best doctors I have seen. I would recommend her to anyone that needs a shoulder or knee replacement. She is very understanding and has time to talk and listen about your aches and pains. She comes up with a treatment plan and is very good at it. 5 stars all the way!