Patient Testimonials

After 2 years of reduced mobility and limping, I knew it was time. I started watching YouTube videos and came upon the subvastus (Jiffy) technique for knee replacement procedures. I started searching for orthopedic surgeons and found Dr. Zachary Arntson who uses this technique. Together, we discussed the use of MAKO robotics and I decided that was the best route for me.

Everyone I came in contact with during this journey was very helpful achieve my goals. Dr. Arntson is a treasure! I wish there were more surgeons doing the Jiffy
procedure. Based on my experience, I would recommend strengthening your quads prior to surgery and using the NICE machine. Most importantly, make sure to move during recovery but don’t overdo it (my physical therapist had to tell me to scale it back during week one because I was so eager to move). A big thank you to Dr. Arntson and the amazing team at TCO!

I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Bircher from the bottom of my heart for performing my knee replacement surgery. This is the best team I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone was incredibly attentive, caring, and kind. A huge thank you to the entire team for helping me restore my knee and helping me get back on the road to recovery. Thank you so much!

Thank you to Dr. Moeller for another perfectly executed surgery on one of my fingers. The whole crew over at TCO Burnsville is very kind and pleasant to work with. As much as I dread any surgery, it’s nice to know TCO will take good care of me! Thanks again to Dr. Moeller and your awesome team!

In August 2025, I had a partial knee replacement on my right knee with Dr. Bircher.

Before surgery, the pain was becoming hard to manage, and my leg strength was rapidly diminishing. I finally decided it was time to do something about it and began researching knee replacement procedures. Dr. Bircher was recommended to me by a friend, and the entire process was smooth from start to finish. We determined that my knee had been bone on bone for nearly 15 years.

The professionals at the surgery center were friendly and knowledgeable. I was on my feet almost immediately and ready to begin my rehabilitation. Within a matter of weeks, I could tell that my joint pain had subsided. Within a few months, my knee felt better than it had in years. Now, after one year, I’m running again without any pain, and my legs are stronger than they have been in over a decade. I am more than grateful to Dr. Bircher and his team for helping me get back to a pain free active lifestyle.

This testimonial is several years overdue, but perhaps that makes it even more meaningful because I can now speak to the lasting outcome of my surgery. I first came to know Dr. Christopher Larson and his amazing PA-C, Kevin Reichart, through my work as an operating room nurse at Crosstown Surgery Center in Edina. Working alongside them gave me a unique perspective. I had the opportunity to see firsthand the expertise, precision, and dedication they bring to their patients. When I eventually became the patient myself, I knew exactly who I trusted with my hip.

In 2022, Dr. Larson performed hip-preservation surgery on me. I was older than many of the patients typically undergoing this type of procedure, and I understood that preserving my native hip at my age came with different considerations and expectations. Dr. Larson gave me the opportunity to do exactly that. Now it is 2026, four years after surgery, and my hip is still doing remarkably well.

As an orthopedic OR nurse with decades of experience, I have worked with many talented surgeons throughout my career. There is something especially meaningful about choosing one of your own colleagues when you become the person on the operating table. You know what happens on the other side of those OR doors. You know what technical excellence looks like. And you know whom you would trust with your own body. I trusted Dr. Larson and Kevin. Four years later, I am incredibly grateful that I did.

Dr. Larson’s expertise in hip preservation is extraordinary, but equally important to me was the care I received from the entire team. Kevin is an exceptional PA-C and an integral part of what makes their team so special. I had confidence in them not only because I knew them professionally, but because I experienced their care personally. There is something wonderful about being able to say, years later, that the goal was accomplished: my hip was preserved, and I’m still doing great. Thank you to Dr. Larson and Kevin for taking such wonderful care of me. It has been a privilege to work alongside you, and I will always be grateful that, when it was my turn to become the patient, I had a team I trusted completely.

I had the privilege of working with Dr. Gregory Lervick and his team since 2019 as an operating room nurse at Crosstown Surgery Center in Edina. I already knew him as an exceptional orthopedic surgeon and colleague, but in 2020, I unexpectedly got to experience his care from the other side of the operating room.

In September 2020, I fell while hiking and tore my rotator cuff and bicep tendon. There was never a question in my mind about who I wanted to repair my shoulder. I trusted Dr. Lervick and his amazing PA-C, Andy Anderson, completely. Dr. Lervick was able to repair my shoulder arthroscopically using four suture anchors. Now, six years later, my shoulder is perfect. I have full function, no pain, and honestly cannot tell that I ever had shoulder surgery. Even the four arthroscopic incision sites have healed so beautifully that the scars are essentially invisible.

As an OR nurse, I have spent decades working alongside surgeons, so I understand the skill, precision, and judgment that excellent orthopedic surgery requires. Being able to say that I have seen Dr. Lervick’s work both as a colleague and as his patient makes this testimonial especially meaningful to me. Perhaps the best testament to the confidence I have in Dr. Lervick and Andy is what happened afterward: I started sending people I care about to them. Since my surgery, I have referred three friends, my uncle, my cousin, and numerous acquaintances to their team. I would never make those referrals lightly.

Six years after my own surgery, I remain incredibly grateful for the care I received and for an outcome that exceeded anything I could have hoped for. Thank you to Dr. Lervick, Andy, and the TCO entire team. It has been a privilege to work alongside you—and an even greater privilege to have trusted you with my own care.

I am a 27-year-old female and had a bad fall in November 2025. After a day of awful pain, I went in and was seen by Dr. Saterbak. After imaging and further discussions with her, it was determined I had torn my medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL). Dr. Saterbak was very informative. Together, we decided it was best to do MPFL reconstruction surgery which was completed in January 2026. The entire process was very easy and I felt supported every step of the way from Dr. Saterbak and her team. Throughout the last nine months, Dr. Saterbak and her team have answered all my questions and concerns. They have given me reassurance that has helped ease any anxiety I had during the process. I have told multiple people that if I ever need another surgery, I will no doubt be going back to Dr. Saterbak.

My journey with the Twin Cities Orthopedics (TCO) team began in February 2017 when my wife gave me a Valentine’s Day gift: a new hip. I had put it off for so long because I was afraid. Dr. Brian O’Neill performed the surgery and helped soothe my fears. The surgery went well, and I was up and walking with the assistance of a walker within an hour or two of the operation thanks to the TCO EXCEL program. His advice was simple: walk. He said it was the best thing for a new hip, and he was right! Since my surgery, I have participated in the TCO personal training program, where I meet with Laurey Heinrich twice a week for 30-minute sessions focused on strengthening. Laurey’s sessions have provided motivation, accountability, and the support I needed to stay committed to exercising.

Over the past couple of years, I have developed some knee and shoulder “maturing issues.” These have become the focus of my training and have led to a few physical therapy sessions with the TCO team. Dr. David Hartigan and his PA-C, Aaron Hulsebus, have been realistic about my physical challenges and have helped create a care plan that takes my personal goals into consideration while improving my mobility.

Where has this journey led me? Over the past year, I have lost 20 pounds and successfully kept the weight off. I have been able to travel and enjoy hiking in the Red Rock area of Sedona, Arizona; explore the beaches and trails of Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu; and enjoy many trails throughout Minnesota. I can even play golf again. Most importantly, with the birth of my granddaughter, I am now able to get up and down from the ground to play with her, which is a major accomplishment. I can hold her, read books to her, and go for walks with her and my family. Having that mobility back is a true gift!

My shoulder and knees may still have their “maturing issues,” but the TCO team has provided me with the tools, guidance, and care I need to maintain my mobility while reducing discomfort, all without the need for additional surgery. For my mobility and the opportunities it has opened up for me, I am deeply grateful to the TCO team.

Dr. Nessler and his team are the best! He replaced my right hip in November 2024 and just did my left hip July 2026. The entire process is very smooth. The EXCEL program and cares sites at the Omni Hotel is a very pleasant experience from surgery to recovery. I always felt well cared for and comfortable. I can now get back to full range of motion in both my hips and become active again. Thank you to Dr. Nessler and his team.

Dr. Allan Hunt agreed to do my hip replacement on one condition – I had to send him a picture of me once I was back on my horse. It took us awhile to train for riding, but here we are. I am finally able to ride again! I will forever be grateful to to Dr. Hunt for giving me my dream back! He is an amazing surgeon and I have much love for his team and the staff at TCO. You all rock!