Patient Testimonials

Dr. Vargas was excellent!

I went to urgent care at TCO Vadnais Heights because I slipped and fell down my stairs. Dr. Vargas was on-site for clinic that day, and he was able to squeeze me into his schedule.

He was direct and kind, and he also communicated the urgency to resolve the physical trauma quickly. He was able to schedule foot and ankle surgery for me in two days with him. I’ve found out subsequent to this that for many people, it can take weeks to get in for surgery!

Although I was nervous at how all of this was unfolding so quickly (Wednesday urgent care, and Friday surgery), it was the best decision I made for my health to get the surgery. He was able to answer my questions, stay connected with me prior to surgery, and was attentive. My healing and recovery are going really well, and it’s been less than one week since my surgery.

If you want someone who “tells it like it is,” gives you solid, fact-based advice, cares for his patients, and is an expert in his field, then Dr. Vargas is your surgeon. I’ll be recommending him to my family and friends, should they need a podiatrist surgeon.

I tore my ACL and meniscus in 2005 when my husband was overseas. I had surgery to repair the tears, however, over time my knee deteriorated, and I had increased pain again. I was told many years ago I needed a knee replacement but could not wrap my head around it, so I waited. In 2022, I started having hip and lower back pain from my “knee swagger.”

I was seen by my primary care provider, and she recommended Dr. Jonathan Cooper and Twin Cities Orthopedics. I can honestly say my first appointment with Dr. Cooper was educational. He went over my options, explained the procedure, and answered all of my questions. I had my long overdue knee replacement this past summer. Dr. Cooper and his wonderful staff at Lakewood Health System are amazing, and I wish I would have had surgery sooner. I am back to work full time with a “runway walk” that I love to show off. Thank you, Dr. Cooper and staff!

I saw Dr. Hofkens on June 1, 2023, for heel pain that was only increasing in severity. He diagnosed it as Baxter’s Nerve Entrapment. After various therapies were not helpful, Dr. Hofkens connected me with Dr. Den Hartog to discuss surgery. He confirmed your diagnosis, and I had surgery on October 31, 2023. It has now been 16 weeks since the surgery and my heel pain has (especially recently) been improving, and it is now probably about 85% normal. Took a long time for the nerve to calm down! While there is still some discomfort, I am again now able to walk and hike without any significant flare-up of pain. So this note is to express my gratitude for Dr. Hofken’s quick and quite careful diagnosis, and moving me through the TCO system to health.

I 100% recommend TCO and Dr. Engasser! He did an ankle replacement on my 83 year old mom. The whole experience was amazing! The compassion, patience, and knowledge that he provided was exceptional. We can’t say enough positive things about the whole experience – from the first appointment through surgery and the follow up appointments. I want to thank Dr. Engasser and his entire team for helping my mom through it all. You gave my mom her mobility back and without pain.

Dr. Engasser recently performed surgery to remove an extra bone from my teenage daughter’s foot. The procedure and recovery went so well. Dr. Engasser’s communication with my daughter was exceptional! He’s engaging, warm, and very open to answering all of our questions. We are grateful to Dr. Engasser for his skill and expert care, and his outstanding bedside manner.

Adam Grafa is a true professional. I feel confident that I am getting a well rounded workout, and within a few short months I can already see results. This is my first time consistently working out in 35 years. I feel great. I recommend Adam implicitly.

Dr. O’Neill performed my hip replacement in late September of 2023, and I am thrilled with the results. I have resumed my workouts, including weight training and elliptical work. I have been able to swim, snorkel, hike and scramble without worrying about hip pain or dysfunction. The pain was minimal, and within 3 days I was walking without any assistive devices, doing stairs and everything I needed to do for self-care. I returned to a physical job within 2 weeks of my procedure, and haven’t had any issues with performing at a level that is better than I could before the procedure. His entire team has been proactive, responsive to questions and communication, and timely with all appointments. I should have done this sooner, and I will recommend Dr. O’Neill to anyone who needs hip surgery!

I had another great workout with Adam Grafa. I enjoy training with him because he truly cares and understands my goals. He is always prepared for our twice-weekly sessions, mixes the workouts up with unique strength training exercises, and he’s a great guy all around.

I am extremely happy with my new hip. I am back at the gym doing CrossFit and have not experienced any pain. This includes movements like lunging and deep squats. The procedure was an anterior approach hip replacement. I am six weeks into my recovery and I feel great. Thank you Dr. Arntson! I wish I had this done two years ago, that is my only regret.

I fell and broke the ball in the left hip. Dr. Arntson repaired the fracture with three screws. He did amazing work. Months later he did a left shoulder reverse replacement, and in April he will be doing a total hip replacement of my left hip. I have total confidence in him. He is a very caring and personable physician.