Patient Testimonials

IN A LEAGUE OF MY OWN. Having bilateral total knee replacement on Jan 7th, 2019 puts you on a path few have ventured. But after years of injections and medication fails, it was time to make the decision to replace both knees. I’m turning 62 in a few weeks. I’m an active wife, mother and grammy, or I should say I was until the daily pain of bone-on-bone would send me to the recliner with my ice packs by the afternoon. The best part of the summer days were my husband and I’s early morning 20 mile bike rides around our area. Biking was the one thing I could do, yes bike 20 miles, but not walk 3 blocks! My appointment in Oct 2018 with Dr. Joe Nemanich started the discussion of what could be next and we picked the date for my bilateral TKR. On Nov 1st, I began my pre-hab at home with a daily routine to get in the best shape for Jan. I was confident going into surgery Jan 7th. It was a tough few weeks, but things seemed to be coming along according to my PT, Leah Toth, at Burnsville TCO. At 5 weeks post-op, it was apparent progress stopped and very active scar tissue took over and locked me at 90 degrees. The next step was the dreaded MUA on Feb 25th. Another blow to my recovery, but you have to keep fighting on! Leah and her team have been fantastic! They continue to encourage me every step of the way! Seeing your therapist everyday for 2 weeks at 80 minutes a session builds more than the usual relationship. Through tears of pain and frustration, there were also happy tears when a new ROM had been achieved! This has been one of the biggest events in my life. I’m still a comeback in progress, but I’m looking forward to each month that brings me closer to living pain free and chasing my grandkids this summer. I missed opening day at Target Field, but will look forward to attending some great summer evenings there.

On a five week trip to Italy, I was planning to go grape stomping like Lucy on the “I Love Lucy” television show. I was also to walk the Cinque Terre. Thirty days before my fearless adventure, I woke up and could not walk! TCO Eagan – Viking Lakes Orthopedic Urgent Care put me in the care of Dr. Laura Koch. She revealed that I did not need a hip replacement in the next hour. Her correct diagnosis put me in touch with the TCO Physical Therapy department. The assistant understood that I was in acute pain with upcoming travel plans. My travel agenda was not the best for her schedule, but she made it work.

Then I met Physical Therapist, Paul Breyen, who designed a program so great that he had me walking in thirty days. Once I was on my trip, I continued the recommended exercises. In Rome, I could walk 23,000 steps a day and run up and down the Spanish Steps. I did not take a tour bus but walked to all the attractions. At St. Peter’s Basilica, I gave thanks that I could feel so great at age 78. At the Trevi Fountain, I was pleased to “return” feeling as good as I did when I first visited there at the age of twenty-two!

Even today, the TCO home exercise program keeps me in shape for the very important grandmother job! Additionally, I just spent a month in Mexico with visits from two active granddaughters (one a captain of Minnetonka’s track team, one on Minnetonka’s State Girls Championship Soccer Team). There are no couch potatoes here. The enjoyment of keeping up with snorkeling, swimming and walking the beach with your grandchildren is a blessing! My journey of marvelous care from TCO started with Dr. Scott Anseth. Additionally, Heide Bolgren, PA-C, has twice treated me with outstanding results. All your great attention makes me happy and healthy.

PS. Last week I climbed Superstition Mountain in Arizona. My bucket list is long, so stay tuned for updates.

In 2011, after a work injury, I chose to see the fine surgeons of Twin Cities Orthopedics and it was determined that I needed my right hip replaced. This was the beginning of my experience with TCO. During my recovery, I did my physical therapy with TCO and worked with two amazing people; Shannon Burmeister and Jay Schindler. I spent a majority of my time with Shannon. She encouraged me to work really hard because she knew for me to be able to return to work, a very physical job, would mean I’d have to have my full range of motion back. I knew I had to do the work but she had such a kind way of coaching me through it all and it didn’t feel like work. She was positive and reassuring and she helped me regain my confidence on the new hip and I was able to return to work without restrictions. In 2013, I had my left hip replaced and again, I was blessed to work with Shannon in my recovery. Her hard work and dedication helped me to return to work from that surgery without restrictions as well. On my journey to become the “bionic man”, I had my left knee replaced in 2014 and the right knee replaced in 2015. By now, I felt a little like Norm, from Cheers, because when I showed up they all knew my name. The last surgery I had with TCO was in 2016 when they repaired a dislocated knee cap. This was probably the most grueling therapy of all but again, with Shannon’s help, I was able to get back to work and I’m happy to say, I have been back working ever since with no further complications. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, I share about the experience I had with my surgeons and my physical therapists. Their treatment and care was second to none. TCO helped put me back together again and for that I will always be grateful!

Dr. Butterfield was recommended to me by my primary care physician. He was kind, professional, thorough and made sure my questions were answered. Would recommend Dr. Butterfield to anyone needing an orthopedic surgeon.

Dr. Koch did my surgery, she is wonderful! A very professional woman with a warm and comforting demeanor. Explains everything and is a good listener. I have already started to refer my family to her.

I fractured my wrist two days before Christmas. I am extremely grateful that Dr. Gesensway and the TCO staff were so thoughtful, proactive, and organized that I was able to have surgery during the short holiday week rather than waiting 10 days. Dr. Gesensway is very personable and an excellent surgeon. My healing process was so much faster than my previous wrist fracture. (Yes, I must be a klutz or maybe just have bad luck when it comes to snow and ice.) He is also a good teacher; I valued having an understanding of my injury and the treatment involved. I especially appreciated how he would repeat certain instructions during post-op appointments. There was no second guessing myself when I wondered what I can or should not do.

I just wanted to thank you Dr. Neil Johnson. I was in a few weeks back for the first time with severe pain in my inner thigh…we really didn’t figure out why exactly, but chose to do an injection in my knee. Wanted to let you know, whether is was the injection or not, everything is amazing now. It was very slow – each day I would tell people, well it feels about 6.5% better…but now it is 100% and no pain at all. I chose not to do the physical therapy for financial reasons, but also because it feels great. Thank you and your staff – everyone was amazing and the entire place was very pleasant and everyone has great customer service!!!

Good experience with Dr. O’Keefe, everything is going well.

I’m a 75 year-old (previously active) female and needed a full knee replacement, which Dr. Anseth performed in September of 2018. Thanks to his skill and the wonderful physical therapy I received at TCO, I was able to fly to the mountains of central Mexico on 2/1, and successfully and without pain, walk 3-4 miles per day for six weeks, up and down the foothills on consistently uneven and sometimes treacherous surfaces.

I had the other knee replaced elsewhere some years before, unsuccessfully, so was very apprehensive to do this second knee. Dr. Anseth’s excellent listening skills, reassurance about anesthesia, a phone call to me the night prior to surgery and his deep and up-to-date knowledge in this field, moved me forward with confidence. I am very grateful to have a different and very positive outcome.

In August 2018, I was at gymnastics practice and tried doing a vault. I fell and hurt my back. The pain kept getting worse and I finally went to TCO. They did a MRI and said I had a stress fracture in my left pars L5. I was put into a brace and eventually 2 more. I was not healing, my leg was going numb and becoming weak. I couldn’t sit or stand long without being in a lot of pain. It was well into my gymnastics competition season and I was not sure if I would be able to do gymnastics ever again. Since I wasn’t going to need surgery, I was referred to my PT, Kristina. She was so great and helpful! We took things slow, she was so patient with me! After months of PT, I was finally allowed to try handstands! It took 8 months to get me back to the gym! Unfortunately, I missed the entire competition season. I am back to training and excited to start competing next season!! Thanks to TCO and Kristina Withers for giving me back the confidence and strength to continue the sport I fell in love with 8 years ago!