Patient Testimonials

Dr. Dieterle and the entire staff kept me informed and made me feel normal with everything I was experiencing. They reassured me that what I was feeling was part of the process. Everyone has been supportive, informative, and so great to work with. I hope that I don’t have to ever see them again, but if I do, I will come back to TCO!

I would like to thank Dr. Christopher Meyer and team for the great job you have done on my left knee. Your excellent work is truly appreciated. At 6 weeks post-op, I am very pleased with the outcome. I still have work to do and certainly will accomplish that, since I want the best outcome I can get. You have all given me the opportunity to be better.

I want to thank Dr. Meyer’s PA, Sommer, who closed the incision. Thank you so much for your excellent work, it looks great. And I want to thank Dr. Meyer for his attention to detail. I believe it makes a difference. I know it takes a team and I am proud to be part of this team!! Thanks again for all you do, and not just for me but everyone you work with.

Several years ago, I developed severe degenerative knee joints, and I was unable to walk more than one block without severe swelling and knee pain. My active life as I knew it was ending. I sought the consultation of Twin Cities Orthopedics, and the care of Dr. Andrea Saterbak. She was caring and professional through her unique surgical talents, she replaced both of my knees.

TCO provided excellent physical therapy throughout my recovery. I was soon back bicking, but one of my dreams was to ski the American Birkebeiner, a 35 mile cross country ski race in northern Wisconsin. I am happy to say I finished the race this year. Many thanks to Dr. Saterbak and the entire team at TCO!

I thank everyone at TCO who helped me recover from my MCL injury. I am grateful that I am able to share my experience with others!

I had been having knee issues for years, starting with a meniscal tear and resulting in arthroscopic surgery twice. I was told that I would eventually need a knee replacement and when that time came Dr. Lewis came highly recommended. What a beautiful job he did with my knee. I’m 8 weeks post-op and delighted with the outcome. Thanks to Dr. Lewis and his PA, Libby.

In October of my senior year of high school, I tore my meniscus while dancing. An MRI showed that I would need surgery if I wanted to continue dancing. I went into surgery without knowing if they would repair my meniscus or perform a meniscectomy. My surgeon decided a meniscectomy would be best after seeing how damaged my meniscus was. This surgery would have a shorter recovery process than if they had tried to repair my meniscus, and so I had high hopes of being back to dance within a few months.

Physical therapy began right away and I was placed in the best possible hands at Training HAUS with Braidy Solie and Megin Sabo John. Braidy helped me get back on my feet after surgery, and then Megin began the physical therapy to get me back to dancing. I had difficulty with my range of motion, which added more time onto my recovery, but with every session Megin helped me improve. After I got past my limited range of motion, I was able to begin working on dance related therapy. We started focusing more on ballet technique and barre work.

Megin always kept my main goal in mind while planning our sessions, which was getting me back to dance. She even helped me walk through each of my dances and would find exercises to help me with my choreography. If it wasn’t for Megin and everyone at Training HAUS, I wouldn’t have been able to compete in my first dance competition in February, which I am forever grateful for.

In a worker’s compenstation (WC) injury, I tore my ACL and had a meniscus tear in my left knee. I was referred to Dr. Jeff Mair and TCO. I could not be happier with the experience and care that I received from him and the TCO staff. All my pre and post-surgery appointments have been very well conducted. Dr. Mair and the staff were always very friendly and had a wonderful bedside manner. They also worked very efficiently with my WC provider for my appointments and surgery. When it was time for surgery, they were very organized and I was able to get in very quickly for surgery once it was approved by WC. The day of surgery went very smoothly for me, as the patient, and for my husband as my caregiver.

I had a great team of nurses before, during, and after surgery. They were very informative and had great bedside manner as well. Recovery has been great too. I had an ACL repair surgery about 20 years prior on my right knee (not at TCO), due to a high school sports injury. The current recovery on my left knee has been wonderful and easier than the last, all due to Dr. Mair and the TCO staff! I have had a wonderful experience with TCO staff and Dr. Mair. I hope that I would not need another orthopedic surgery in the future, but if I do I will surely be coming back to Dr. Mair and TCO.

I dislocated my left knee cap twice, my right knee cap once, and broke my wrist and collarbone in the span of 3.5 years, injuries which have threatened my hockey career. My second knee cap dislocation happened shortly after my first so I was referred to Dr. TJ Ridley at TCO. Dr. Ridley laid out my options in a way that I could easily understand. He didn’t pressure me and gave me time to make a decision that would work best for me.

I chose to have a medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction. Dr. Ridley performed the surgery, and it went very well. His care team made sure that I was taken care of throughout the process. I knew what to expect and what I needed to do to recover as soon as possible.

During my recovery, Dr. Ridley referred me to Justin Nicol, a Sports Physical Therapist at TCO Vadnais Heights Therapy & Performance, who helps hockey players return to the ice. Justin had me on the ice for physical therapy and was instrumental in getting me back to playing games sooner than I expected. I loved the ACE – Hockey program and would recommend it to anyone. Big thanks to Dr. Ridley and Justin!

5 years ago I had bi-lateral knee replacement surgery done by Dr. Kruse, and the surgeries were 3 months apart. The surgeries went well and my recuperation went well too. I’m using those repaired knees pain-free now, as I recuperate from recent heart bypass surgery. As I do rehab for my heart, I am once again realizing that my knees are able to do the necessary walking and biking motion without any stiffness or pain thanks to Dr. Kruse and my knee surgeries. He is a great surgeon, patient focused and motivated me to use my new knees. I would highly recommend him to care for others.

My husband was “laid out flat” while wrestling his younger brother and I heard a pop. His knee was sore, but he didn’t have any true pain, and so he ignored it for the time being. Weeks later while trying to get into his truck, his knee buckled, taking him to the ground. At that point he knew it wasn’t something he could ignore anymore.

Insert Dr. Hess. Dr. Hess was professional, relatable, understanding and open-minded. He gave many options beyond surgery and explained exactly what was going on with my husband’s knee. His ACL tore completely off the bone but stayed completely intact. This would be a more unique surgery and one was one that was done less often.

Dr. Hess did an outstanding job and 2 years later, my husband feels great. He was given very clear and reasonable expectations regarding rehab and how his knee would come out of the surgery. My husband feels that those expectations were met and exceeded. It’s easy to say that, should a doctor or surgeon be needed in our family, we will look to Dr. Ryan Hess first. Thank you for being not only an amazing surgeon, but an overall kind and compassionate human being. It did not go unnoticed.