Patient Testimonials

I would highly recommend Dr. Tanner for anyone needing an ankle specialist. From the first time I met him for my consultation, I knew I chose the right surgeon. He listened to my concerns and he did not try to discourage me but listened to me and my husband about the pain I was dealing with daily. I could feel the plate and the screws and if I bumped it, it would almost bring me to my knees. His patient care coordinator Rachael is the nicest and she has such an amazing sense of humor! My husband Tim and I both said she was so much fun to work with. Thank you Rachael for the time that you spent with us!

The nurses that helped me before and after the surgery at the Blaine Orthopedic Surgery Center were Erica and Melissa. Both of them were over the top helpful in making me less stressed. Anytime that I go under anesthesia I get anxious, but Erica was so, so sweet.  Melissa after my surgery was unbelievably friendly and helpful.  Bravo to Dr. Tanner for how fast and how well the surgery went.  I would highly recommend him to anyone needing his expertise.  Another thing about TCO is that whenever I have had to go there,  every single person that I have dealt with were over the top friendly.  Thank you to all that spent time with me at TCO –  I’ll never forget any of you!

I’ve lived 12 frustrating years of pain, arthritis and bone spurs in my right knee. A co-worker of mine told me to make an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Mair. I was able to schedule an appointment quickly within 3 weeks. As soon as my husband and I met Dr. Mair, we felt very comfortable and had a connection with him and decided on the spot that he was the surgeon for me. After we set the date, everything flowed smoothly and fell into place. The PT and instructions that I was given helped me to get ready for the surgery and recovery. I met with Cody, Dr. Mair’s PA and he took the time on on more than one occasion to talk to us and answer questions honestly, so there were no surprises for my recovery.

Everyone on Dr. Mair’s team was incredible, Stacy with assisting with appointments and questions, Lindsay with out of work letters, and Donica always there forwarding my questions and concerns onto the team, and then getting a response in less than 24 hours!!! The pain management schedule was simple to follow and I never was in severe pain. I always had support from Dr. Mair and Cody reminding me that this is a tough surgery and to give myself time to recover. They were right, it’s been 6 months and I ride my bike everyday, something I haven’t been able to do for 20 years. I can walk without being in pain, my limp is gone and I can stand for more than 5 minutes. I am so glad that I had the procedure done. I am success story because of Dr. Mair and his medical team of very knowledgeable and caring people. I highly recommend Dr. Mair to everyone that asks me where I had my procedure done.

My 4 year old son was seen by Matt Bronsdon, PA-C for a fractured pinky. Matt took the extra time to explain to a 4 year old exactly what was going on in language that he would understand. In addition, my 2 year old daughter was having sympathy pain of the same finger. Matt also splinted her finger so she could be like her big brother. Matt’s bedside manner was incredible. He catered his care to the parent, the 4 year old patient, and the 2 year old sister. Thank you Matt!

Dr Fritz and his staff took care of my partner, Julie,  in December.  They provided extraordinary care and service. We were very pleased with the replacement cast that was made and the therapeutic care to better reposition the wrist fracture. She had been in severe pain and these changes made a significant difference. We are grateful.

I have struggled with bilateral hip osteoarthritis for the past 7 years. I was losing my ability to walk and the pain was becoming intolerable when I met Dr. Jeffrey Mair, an orthopedic surgeon with TCO Waconia. Previous orthopedic providers had refused to treat me and simply provided bariatric surgery flyers and told me to come back when I hit the magic BMI. While BMI is a very important factor in success, it is not the only factor to be considered. Dr Mair, from the moment I met him, gave me confidence that he would do my surgeries, likely 3 to 6 months apart and he believed I could be successful. I had my first hip replacement in June. I was compliant in all the team’s recommendations for post operative recovery and was ready for my second hip in August. Just 2 months apart. The procedures have been life changing. I am no longer living with pain, I am getting stronger every week allowing me to get back to activities that I love. Dr Mair, Cody his PA and my PT champions Deb and Natalie have been my personal cheerleaders throughout the entire process. I cannot say enough about the treatment team that helped me find determination to succeed when I felt so hopeless about my physical future. If you are living with hip pain, see Dr. Mair. He will listen, he will care and he will find treatment that helps you get back in to your life. If I can do it, so can you.

If you are searching for a professional, highly skilled, caring, and thoughtful orthopedic surgeon, look no further than Dr. Leafblad. He replaced my shoulder this past fall, and it is improving daily. I have been very pleased with his care and would recommend him to anyone in need of orthopedic surgery!

I cannot say enough about how pleased and deeply grateful I am for Dr. Eggert’s expertise and care. I highly recommend him to anyone needing a knee replacement or knee surgery. From the first day I limped into his office experiencing intense pain and severely decreased mobility due to bone on bone knee joint pain, he provided clear and compassionate care. He listens and I felt seen and validated when explaining my situation. When it was time for surgery he recommended the EXCEL program for me. The pre-op and post-op education and support from the care coordinators help smooth the process.

I had my surgery one year ago and just completed the year check. Wow! I cannot be any happier with the outcome. Dr. Eggert knows what he’s doing! Having that chronic deep pain gone is a game changer. Truthfully, the surgery and post-op recovery is intense. My only focus for 6 weeks post-op was recovery and PT. Do the PT people! It creates a successful outcome.

I love to walk and hike. Within 6 months I was back to walking the trails in our area, walking to and from my workplace every day during the summer. A visit to the North Shore this past summer was enjoyable again as I could walk trails and mosey around Grand Marais. A little under one year from my surgery date I was walking on the beach in California and visiting museums. I would not be doing any of this if not for this successful surgery, Dr. Eggert, and the TCO team! Thank you for giving me my quality of life back. Keep doing what you do!

I tore my ACL and meniscus during the first football game of my sophomore year. Finding out I would be missing not only my football season but also basketball and track season too, broke my heart. I had so much that I was looking forward to.

I will forever be grateful to my TCO team of Dr. Ryan Hess, athletic trainer Christian Goetz, and physical therapist Thane Widmer. They were with me every step of the way. Christian and Thane were so awesome to rehab with. They supported and believed in me throughout the process, and I could always count on having fun around them.

One of my biggest fears after getting hurt was returning to my sports at the same level I was before. I would encourage anyone going through this to believe you can.

I’m a 66 year old female and my story begins when I had my left hip replaced at another facility in 2020. It came time to have my other hip replaced and a friend of mine advised me to have the anterior hip replacement done by this wonderful surgeon, Dr. Owen O’Neill. After talking with my friend for a while, he had me convinced to set up an appointment with Dr. O’Neill and I’m glad I did. The scheduling was quick and he’s a wonderful doctor with a wonderful care team.

It was a breeze. I had a one night stay at the EXCEL Care Suites and I was sent home with a packaged lunch the following morning. How wonderful is that? I had very little pain and one week later I was walking on my own without a walker or cane! I was shocked at how fast the anterior hip replacement recovery was compared to the posterior hip replacement.

If you ever need to have a hip replacement, don’t put it off. Choose the anterior hip replacement with Dr. Owen O’Neill. I can’t wait until this summer so I can get back to camping! Before my hip replacement, walking on uneven ground or even standing for any length of time was the worst! I thought my camping days were coming to an end. I’m here to say I had my operation in September 2024 and I already know I am not going to have that problem anymore with camping, as I’m already walking up and down my basement steps and dong all my house hold activities, including raking on uneven ground! I can’t wait to camp and enjoy life again pain-free. Set up an appointment with Dr. Owen O’Neill, you will be glad you did.

It was getting harder for me to walk and I was having trouble sleeping because of the pain. After I met with Dr. James Bircher, he recommended a hip replacement and it was the best thing I could have done. On the day of the surgery he talked to me and even said a prayer, which not only impressed me but put me at ease. I feel so much better. After a couple of months, I am walking and sleeping so much better. I am so happy I went through the procedure. I am eventually going to have the other hip replaced and I will definitely go back to Dr. Bircher. The only difference will be is that I won’t wait as long as I did with the first hip. I would highly recommend Dr. Bircher and his teams. They were great.