Patient Testimonials

I was referred to Dr. Bircher. He was very kind and a willing listener, as I was not an easy case! I dealt with multiple infections in the past. So he ran tests before he did anything, which I was very grateful for. Once we found out there was no infection, he did a metal removal from past surgery first.

Then he went ahead with the right knee replacement in July of 2023. In December of 2023 I had my left knee done. Dr. Bircher and his team were great! They called me at home multiple times to check in with me about healing and pain management. He was always quick to return calls and answered all of my questions or concerns.

He was also willing to give me a referral to a spine doctor who I have been going to now as well. If I do need more surgery down the road I will be going back with Dr. Bircher and his group. I would definitely recommend him and his team!

My daughter broke her foot during dance practice. This was absolutely devastating to her because she lives for dance. Dr. Holthusen took amazing care of her, and talked her through what she needed to do to be able to dance as soon as possible. He always made sure she knew what to do and what not to do. The smile on her face when he told her she could dance again says it all!

Dr. Frattalone and her staff are super informative and very caring. My injections went very well. Her care coordinator, Heather, is so kind and friendly. The whole staff is so sweet.

I recently had surgery to replace my right hip with my provider Dr. Vorlicky and I wanted to express my appreciation for helping me with this procedure. This is the first hip surgery I’ve had and I didn’t have tremendous pain like with my knee. Thank you to Dr. Vorlicky and his team. You are phenomenal surgeons and I’m so thankful for your help in getting me back to normal. I hope anyone who reads this will consider Dr. Vorlicky and his team.

I had a phenomenal experience working with Dr. Ridley and his team from start to finish. From the beginning, I felt that Dr. Ridley truly cared for me as his patient. He walked me through the procedure that he recommended, but I never felt pressured. I’m so thankful I took his advice to move forward with surgery. I no longer have pain in my left knee, which bothered me for the past couple years. At 7 weeks post-surgery, I’m back to my long walks and Peloton workouts with no soreness the next day.

Dr. Mittelsteadt and his staff were amazing. I tell everybody about him and TCO. I could not imagine having a better experience. If I ever have to have surgery again I’m going back to TCO! I stayed at the EXCEL Care Suites for a night. Recovering was really nice and the nurses were amazing there too. Thank you so much to TCO for a great experience on something I was regretting. It was not bad at all.

I had carpal tunnel surgery on February 20, 2024. From the very minute I arrived at the Blaine Orthopedic Surgery Center, the staff was so kind and respectful! Once I was admitted, the nurses were patient, funny, and so positive! Dr. Wetter treated me with great respect and answered all of my questions. The anesthesiologist was also very nice. The surgery went very smoothly and recovery was quick! I was given detailed instructions about what to do once I got home, and the nurse followed up with a phone call the next day answering my additional questions. The post-op appointment on March 11th went very well, too. Dr. Wetter took his time, telling me that the healing process was going very well. He’s very knowledgeable about this condition and the surgery required for it. Overall, I appreciated everything about the people involved throughout the surgical process. I would highly recommend Dr. Wetter to anyone going through carpal tunnel surgery!

I had the privilege of being under the care of Dr. Owen O’Neill during my hip replacement journey, and I cannot express my gratitude enough. Dr. O’Neill embodies the perfect blend of professionalism, compassion, and expertise. Dr. O’Neill’s warm and friendly demeanor immediately put me at ease. He took the time to listen to my concerns, patiently answering all of my questions. It felt like I was discussing my health with a trusted friend rather than a surgeon.

Dr. O’Neill’s meticulous approach impressed me. He explained every step of the procedure, ensuring I understood what to expect. His attention to detail instilled confidence in me, knowing that I was in capable hands. The entire team, led by Dr. O’Neill, contributed to my positive experience. Isabel, Ann and Casey were exceptional. Their kindness, empathy, and professionalism made a significant impact on my journey.

Dr. Owen O’Neill is an amazing orthopedic surgeon. My hip replacement was a success, and I owe it to his expertise and the wonderful team he leads. Thank you, Dr. O’Neill, for giving me a new lease on life! If you’re considering hip replacement surgery, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. O’Neill and his team at Twin Cities Orthopedics. They truly go above and beyond to ensure their patients’ well-being.

Prior to getting my hips replaced, I was quite restricted as to what I could do. I have always been very active and I’ve run 120 marathons, having completed the last one in 2019. I went in for some PT, for what we thought was piriformis syndrome, but the stretches/exercises were not helping me with the pain I was experiencing in the piriformis muscle area. I stopped riding a regular bike since I couldn’t get on and off easily, due to an extremely limited range of motion. Running wasn’t working for me and even walking became difficult to do without experiencing pain. I finally told my primary doctor things weren’t better even after I had really worked on my PT exercises. My doctor gave me a referral to go to Twin Cities Orthopedics to see if a doctor there could help further.

I had my first appointment with Dr. Bircher and the first thing they did was send me down the hall for X-rays. Dr. Bircher came in and asked me to describe the issues I was having. After listening to me, he shared the X-rays that had been taken of my hips. Prior to this, worn out hips were not even on my radar. I had just assumed it was tight muscles. Dr. Bircher showed me the X-rays and explained what was going on. He explained that my left hip was a little worse than the right, but I was bone on bone in both hips. He talked about various options (total hip replacement, resurfacing, delaying replacement) available to me. While it was a bit overwhelming, he talked me through my options and his recommendations. I went home and came back a week later with my wife and after we talked through options again. We decided to go ahead with a total hip replacement on the left side and then reassess the right side after that.

Dr. Bircher instilled me a great feeling of confidence in the upcoming surgery. The left hip replacement went very smoothly and within one week, I was out walking 2-3 miles in the neighborhood with a cane. After just a few more days I didn’t even need the cane. After 6 weeks I went in and we looked at X-rays of the new hip. We also discussed whether to move forward with the right hip. X-rays again showed bone on bone on the right side. I wasn’t experiencing the pain on the right like I had on the left, so Dr. Bircher said I could wait 3-9 months to see how things develop. He also pointed out the right hip isn’t going to get better, so it’s just a matter of how long to wait. He didn’t pressure me at all to go forward with replacing the right hip, but I was convinced it was the right thing for me to do.

3 months after total replacement of the left hip, Dr. Bircher replaced the right hip. Recovery went smoothly and I’m now 3 months post-surgery on the second hip. I’m walking 3-6 miles almost every day pain free! My range of motion is vastly improved. I’m looking forward to being able to zip around more with the grandkids this next summer instead of watching from the sidelines. I look forward to walking and fishing the shores of the river for hours at a time, instead of fishing until I’m too sore to continue.

I can’t begin to express my complete satisfaction with the results of my two hip replacements. I was so very impressed not only with Dr. Bircher’s skill as a surgeon, but just as importantly the trust I had in him throughout the process. From the very beginning he took the time to explain everything and never was in a hurry to get to the next patient when I was meeting with him. He gained my trust with his demeanor, openness, and interest in my situation. That eliminated any apprehension I might have with the upcoming procedures. I would highly recommend Dr. James Bircher for anyone considering joint replacement surgery. He is the BEST!

During the month of July 2015, I had a full knee replacement on my right knee. My recovery time was 90 days before I could walk without a wooden pole. However, in order to remodel the first level of our single-family home in November 2015, I still had to maintain a daily intake of pain medication to perform manual work seven days per week. This intake continued until December 2015.

I was introduced to Dr. Bircher at your new TCO Plymouth location and I had a full left knee replacement in February 2024. Physical therapy was performed at TCO Maple Grove. Something was very different this time and the healing process was entirely different. That same month, I ceased taking pain medication and Tylenol. There was obviously a much faster recovery time than my 2015 procedure.

The question is, “what changed to cause such a difference in recovery?” I don’t think the actual replacement procedure, nor the replacement devises have changed much in eight years. There is only one major factor that could alter the healing time as much as it did, and that would be the knowledge and skill of Dr. Bircher. In addition, Dr. Bircher has great bedside manner.

In summary, I would like to mention and give credit to the two PT’s that pushed me and guided me through the post-op recovery process. Elsie Olsen and Therese Owen have great personalities and skills. They worked hard and encouraged me to complete the recovery process properly and in a short time frame. Both of them are very pleasant to be around!