Patient Testimonials

I had a good experience with Dr. O’Keefe and TCO. I was well informed on how things would progress and all staff was pleasant to work with.

I had always been a very active person, both as a freelance cellist and avid outdoors-person. But by 2017, due to pain & lack of mobility, I was having great difficulty enjoying any of those things! I had pursued conservative options (injections, PT & massage) only to have the extreme pain & stiffness return after some brief relief. That’s when I bit the bullet and I got in for a consult with Dr. Vorlicky. I really appreciated his straightforwardness and compassion. Then, after reviewing his stellar record of success with other hip replacements, I chose him to do my surgery. To not do anything wasn’t an option, so I jumped at this “second chance”for an active life.

A full year since the 2nd hip replacement and I am more active then ever. I can play my cello for hours, ride my bike, walk 4 miles at a time and the most exciting moment was being able to dance for 3 straight hours at my daughters recent wedding! And no pain as I got my boogie on!!!

I have to add that TCO’s PT staff has been stellar and has made a huge impact on my recovery as well!

Science/medicine is amazing! And I’m so grateful & blessed that the whole TCO family was such an important part of this comeback story!!

Compared to a year ago, the way I feel now is nothing short of amazing. I am able to mountain bike, XC ski, play basketball, coach, and do all of my normal activities pain free. Prior to my cervical disk replacement, I was having excruciating pain radiate down my arm that prevented me from doing just basic activities. I was unable to even lie flat on my back with pain and numbness. The surgery performed by Dr. DuBois really has given me my life back! My wife and kids will also attest to that.

After 10 years of knee problems, I was happy and scared to hear Dr. Comfort say I needed a total knee replacement. Happy to know I would have a working knee again, and scared at the prospect of surgery and rehab. The EXCEL Program was just what I needed. The encouraging calls from Molly and the team helped me with workouts ahead of surgery to better prepare me for recovery afterward. They took care of the on slot of paperwork from insurance and work. They scheduled the surgery and all my physical therapy appointments and post-op checks.

March 5th at the Blaine Orthopedic Surgery Center, Dr. Comfort and his surgical team worked their magic on me. I was in the recovery room for 15 minutes and then got out of bed for a walk to the lav. The over night suite at the surgery center was comfortable and well equipped. The nursing staff and physical therapist took excellent care of me. The next week at home I was blessed to have my husband taking good care of me. The first week is the worst, spinal block wears off and swelling sets in and having to get up and move every 2 hours day and night. But i got through it with my marriage still intact!

The next week is where the work begins. Physical therapy twice a week with daily home exercises. Brian and Katie at the TCO Vadnais Heights are the best! They have the right moves to get you back on track and pain will get you gain. Every week I am amazed at how much more I can do. I am just 5 weeks post surgery and have returned to my household routines and some of my social routines. Workouts at the YMCA are slow but sure and soon I’ll be returning to my pool workouts. I am looking forward to a summer stand up paddle boarding on area lakes and riding my bike. By late summer I hope to be back at work as a flight attendant and enjoying life with my new knee! Thank you Dr. Comfort and TCO team for giving me my freedom back!

May 22nd, 2016 my life changed forever.
It was the AAU state tournament for basketball and my team was playing for fourth place. All I remember is that I was going up for a rebound and coming down thinking there goes my hopes and dreams. It was a Sunday and there was no open TCO clinic so we went to a competitor location that was closest because I was in so much pain. They misdiagnosed me with a grade 1 ankle sprain and told me, “You should be able to walk in 3 weeks.” They were wrong. After about a month passes, I am finally walking in a boot with pressure but it still hurts so my mom and I decide to get a second opinion. We go to TCO and they immediately get me an MRI to see what’s wrong, and boy, was the competitor wrong. I remember sitting down with the doctor and wanting to cry thinking how will I get this time back with not training for basketball. I was diagnosed with a severe bone bruise and I had torn my ATFL. I wasn’t allowed to put pressure on my ankle for about 3-4 months.

Once I started walking, I started physical therapy. I decided to do it with a friends mom I knew from basketball, Michelle Montgomery. She really helped motivate me to work towards getting back on the court, after being in the boot for 7 months it was nice to have a break and to honestly be done with PT. After I was cleared to go back to basketball, I was so happy and the first time I was back on the court I felt like I was on CLOUD 9 and was meant to be on the court forever.

Right before sophomore high school basketball season was about to start, I started getting pain in my ankle and it hurt to run and when I walked my ankle was really unstable. Michelle referred me to Dr. Cammack, who said I needed surgery if my ankle was feeling that unstable. Not even a week later, I had ankle reconstruction surgery. With his new innovation, it was only 3 month recovery time. I was really happy that it was a fast recovery time but at the same time I didn’t know what type of player I would be after surgery. I was flat out scared for the outcome I thought even with surgery who and will I be able to play again mentally. I was missing my sophomore year of basketball and this is a crucial year for recruiting for colleges, I thought there goes my dreams. After recovering from the surgery, it was AAU season for basketball and I was back playing I was so excited to be playing again and was ready to show college coaches what I could do. That season was the best season I have ever had as a basketball player. I started getting recognized my colleges and other coaches and felt like I could do anything. That season made me the player who I am, it helped me play with a chip on my shoulder knowing I put all this work into getting back onto the court I won’t let it go to waste, not just because of my work but because of the others that helped me with their hard work. I am now a senior in high school and have a basketball scholarship to play in college at Waldorf University.

Nothing is impossible, everything is achievable with hard work. Surgery helped shape who I am, if I could go back and change getting hurt I wouldn’t. It helped me play with a new purpose that I truly appreciate and respect.

I will always remember the people at TCO who helped me. The sense of community helped me in my recovery. My new mindset changed to having a chip on my shoulder and overcome obstacles rather than getting devastated by things I can fix by hard work. Thank you TCO for helping me through times where I didn’t believe in myself. I’m back and I’m better than ever.

I had an 8:40 am appointment this morning, and I actually got there about 10 minutes early (even with Highway 62 traffic – yuck). Dr. Hunt was very precise and professional as always and I was back in my car by 8:46 am!!! I love love love Dr. Hunt and Twin Cities Orthopedics! So friendly and they know their stuff. I have trusted the TCO Edina with my care since 2001 and will continue.

P.S. Kendra is amazing, and Nicholas as well (Dr. Hunt’s care team).

Dr. Den Hartog did a fantastic job fixing my foot. As a nurse, I am very picky when choosing care for myself and my family. I have worked with a lot of doctors. I hate to admit, but I am often hard to please. Dr. Den Hartog is very skilled and knowledgeable. He is a great guy to talk to. He is kind and patient. He took his time in answering all my questions. I am very happy with my choice to have Dr. Den Hartog as my specialist and would highly recommend him!

Luke’s TCO Comeback Story takes us back to June 26th, 2018. Most parents assume that at some point in their athletes’ career that there will be minor injuries along the way. Fortunately, most parents won’t have to experience a major injury suffered by their child. Unfortunately, for our son, Luke, he did suffer a major injury. Luke tore his ACL in his left knee while playing basketball. At first, we were all hopeful that it wasn’t anything too serious, maybe just a small meniscus tear, but after a trip to TCO Urgent Care and then a follow up a week later with Dr. Thomas Conner, we were unfortunately given the bad news.

We were told in our consultation with Dr. Conner that Luke would not be able to participate in any sports his junior year and that he would be out of sports for 9-12 months. A tough thing to hear for a young man who had a great sophomore year of basketball – being named MVP his sophomore year and chosen as a captain for his junior year – and very excited for the upcoming season.

On July 24, 2018 (2 days before Luke’s 17th birthday) he underwent his ACL surgery. Dr. Conner and his team were amazing and we were very pleased with the surgery results and the care he received. While the first few days of post-surgery were not fun or easy for Luke, he got through those days with visits, messages and phone calls from caring family, friends, teammates and coaches.

Luke met Tyler Douglass 6 days after surgery for his first physical therapy session. I could immediately tell that Luke was very comfortable with Tyler and that they would hit it off. Tyler explained and talked to Luke in a way that worked best for a 17-year-old. Tyler was very focused on Luke, his plan for Luke, and he pushed Luke to work hard, do his best and keep going. He explained to Luke that there would be challenging and frustrating times ahead, but to push through. As Luke’s mom, I appreciated the care and concern that Tyler gave Luke. Tyler has gone above and beyond. He has encouraged and supported Luke and we will be forever grateful for all he has done and continues to do, as Luke still checks in with Tyler periodically since he still has a few months left to go.

At Luke’s 3-month mark, he had an incredible opportunity (brought to us by Tyler) to go to the Training HAUS in Eagan to have his knee tested and see how PT was going for Luke and where his knee was at physically. We were so impressed with their wonderful staff who worked with Luke, especially Michael Kiely. Luke was put through some rigorous tests, using state of the art equipment, given so much support and some frank honesty from Michael about doing your PT, staying on track, getting stronger, holding yourself accountable and working hard. Those words that were shared with Luke have been very meaningful and motivational.

Luke continued seeing Tyler very frequently until about 4 months post-op. At 4 months, we decided to sign Luke up for the STAR program, on the recommendation from Dr. Conner and Tyler. Luke worked very closely with Steve Thorkildson during this program. What an amazing program for Luke! Luke and a few others were basically “piloting” this program. At this point, the high school basketball season had started for Luke and his teammates and it was tough on Luke. Luke would go to practices to watch and support his teammates and then have to leave early on the days he had PT and/or STAR. Luke was very dedicated on getting stronger and he had great results! Since he couldn’t be playing basketball, it was important for him to have another activity to feed a new passion. Luke had great results at his 6-month testing at the Training HAUS and everyone was thrilled to know that STAR was working for Luke and his commitment and dedication to rehab was paying off.

It was then decided that Luke was finished with STAR after reaching the goals he needed to. He then moved on to the ACE program, where he works with Eric Seppelt and Nicole Sheehan. Luke started this program the middle of February and is enjoying being able to do more sport specific activities! As a parent, it is very reassuring to have all of these wonderful opportunities like the STAR and ACE programs and we would highly recommend them.

Luke has remained very determined through this whole process, which is not always easy for a 17-year-old. He knows how important his PT and rehab is and that it is all crucial to being able to return to sport. We are hopeful and optimistic that this summer he will be back on the basketball court, ready to go. As parents, it may be a bit nerve wracking at first to watch him, but we will know that physically, Luke’s knee will be ready. And for that, we thank every single TCO employee who has pushed and supported Luke. He still has a few months to go, his Comeback Story isn’t quite over, but it has been an inspiring one so far! A quote I have leaned on over these past months “Every setback is a setup for a comeback. God wants to bring you out better than you were before.” We are so proud of our son Luke, and so thankful to TCO!

After a knee surgery and two hip replacements, I would definitely return to TCO for any further surgical procedures. The staff were very professional and personal. After surgery, they answered all questions that were asked and provided a comfortable recovery environment. The staff was always patient and considerate of my condition and needs. The doctors visited you daily and always asked about your pain, concerns, and other health issues. Again, thank you, Twin Cities Orthopedics. God Bless, Bud.

Before the surgery I struggled to get out of a chair. I teach first grade and those 6 and 7 year olds do not want to wait for their teacher to get off her chair or struggle to get off the floor. Every step was painful and I struggled to sleep at night. Now I don’t have to think about how to get off the chair or floor – I just do it. I have no pain and am able to keep up with my kiddos at school.