Patient Testimonials

I have seen Dr. Reynolds twice for low back and SI pain. He nailed the diagnosis immediately and confirmed it with an MRI. He has a fantastic “bedside manner” and is very easy to communicate with. Dr. Reynolds explains everything well. I feel like I receive great information coming in and going out. He sent me to TCO physical therapy, and I am responding fantastically to the exercises in my rehab! I have already referred him to others and will continue to do so in a heartbeat! What a great addition to TCO!

My family has been surrounded by support from Twin Cities Orthopedics and their staff this year. My husband had a successful knee replacement with Dr. TJ Panek’s staff in the EXCEL program. The organization, communication, and outstanding care provided from start to finish could not have been better. A knee replacement is not a minor procedure, but his surgery and recovery have been incredibly smooth and supported.

Our older son injured his shoulder during his high school football season. His school’s TCO sports trainer, Julia West, has been supporting him through every step of his recovery as he prepares for his final high school baseball season. Our younger son dislocated his kneecap this fall and initially tried rehab through physical therapy. When it became apparent that therapy wasn’t going to be the solution, Dr. Christopher Larson reassured him that surgery would provide the pathway to getting his goals back on track.

We’ve spent quite a lot of time this year interacting with many healthcare providers at TCO and every experience has felt like we were their main priority. From scheduling to record keeping to PT to imaging to surgical care coordinators to doctors, our experience has been outstanding and the recovery outcomes positive. I would highly recommend TCO to anyone looking for orthopedic care for themselves or their family.

I saw Dr. Eggers for pain in my lower back and hips. I was thoroughly impressed during my initial visit. After listening to my symptoms, I found that his knowledge was confirmed by an MRI that I received shortly after that consultation. He was also very honest about his practice. I sincerely appreciated that. I was also comforted that he would take the time to discuss my condition, concerns, and treatment. I feel that I am in excellent hands when seeing Dr. Eggers.

Thank you to Dr. Hofkens for completing the procedure on my shoulder. He removed calcium deposits on my rotator cuff which was contacting my bicep tendon causing significant pain and weakness. The procedure was a HUGE success, and I can now move, and use left shoulder without any issues. I have been dealing with the pain and weakness for almost a year. After an MRI and months of physical therapy with no improvement prior to the surgery, the procedure was completed. Within a few days, my shoulder was back to normal. I appreciate and value the expertise and precision of Dr. Hofkens!

My mother, who is 89 years old, was receiving back injections, nerve ablations, and even had an electronic nerve stimulator implanted in her back. Over a 15-year period of trying to ease her serve back pain, there was no relief. She lived in terrible pain every single day!

After tons of research to try to help my mother, I found Dr. Hoel at Twin Cities Orthopedics and made her an appointment. Although we did not have a current MRI available, only previous CT scans, Dr. Hoel told my mom that he knew where her pain was coming from. He ordered her a back injection along with getting her an MRI. After that injection, her pain has been gone over the last six weeks! It was truly a miracle! My mom recently got her MRI, and we will be following up with Dr. Hoel. We were so blessed to have found him, and we give him our deepest appreciation and thanks.

After racing with intense pain in my left knee, I visited TCO’s Eden Prairie Urgent Care to gain clarity on what I was experiencing. We took some imaging, and I ended up at TCO once a week with physical therapist Dylan Scott to treat a hamstring strain and tendonitis in my left knee.

In early September, I still had lingering pain, so we took an MRI scan of my knee, discovering a tear in my lateral meniscus. It felt like every goal was being scribbled off my list as I looked at the scans on the computer. When I saw Dylan at physical therapy the next day, he took the time to sit down to answer every question I had. He assured me that no matter what happened with surgery, I would be well taken care of at TCO.

In November, Dr. Chris LaPrade performed a meniscectomy on my left knee to clean up the tear. Leading up to surgery, both Dylan and Dr. LaPrade worked very hard to make sure I felt as informed as possible, and we developed recovery plans far in advance. The day after surgery, I was already back at the Eden Prairie clinic working on walking and my range of motion.

Throughout recovery, Dylan worked to get me back on the water as soon as possible. I looked forward to every session with him because he knows my competitive brain and my wacky biomechanics better than I know them myself. After being discharged from physical therapy, adding ACE to my summer schedule was a no-brainer because it provided me an opportunity to keep working hard and getting stronger with TCO.

Exactly seven months after undergoing surgery, I was on the racecourse for the US Rowing Youth National Championships, and I know that I would not have achieved this opportunity without the unwavering support of TCO through the ups and downs.

I’ve been a patient of TCO for many years. I’ve broken my femur three times, had a hip replacement, stress fractures, and a broken foot. Not great bones.

Through it all, I’ve always felt like I was in great hands at TCO. During my recent MRI, the power went out. It was frightening, but the staff handled it the best they could. I spoke with Matt afterward, and he is an absolute gift to the TCO family.

When I came back two weeks later, I was really nervous. Matt Grey happened to be working that day, and he took care of me. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone more kind, gentle, and reassuring. He got me through the MRI with ease, and I’m so grateful.

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!

We feel compelled to pass along a heartfelt ‘Thank you’ to Dr. Steven Meletiou, his amazing team, and all the wonderful people at TCO Stillwater.  The care that our 8-yr old daughter, Abby, received over the past couple of days was over and above anything we could have imagined.

This past Tuesday evening, Abby got her finger slammed in a car door.  After seeing how badly Abby had cut and smashed her finger, we knew it likely would require orthopedic care.  TCO was our first call.  Much to our surprise, we got an appointment the next day with Abigale Gabrick, PA-C. We were blown away with not only the speed in which we would get our daughter seen at an orthopedic clinic, but that we could get in to see an orthopedic team that specializes in hand/arm injuries.

After reviewing the X-rays and the wound itself, Abigale did an amazing job explaining the seriousness of the injury. Abby had likely lacerated the nail bed underneath her fingernail, and that if we didn’t repair that nail bed, she would likely have a severely disfigured fingernail for the rest of her life.  Dr. Meletiou and his team performed the surgery the following day. The TCO staff made Abby feel so welcome and cared for during our visit for surgery. Abby is now recovering and even went to school the following day!

Thank you again to the people at TCO! Not only was their incredible level of expertise on display, but their genuine level of care that they showed for our daughter was something special.

I had a knee replacement in Michigan in 2012. About 6 years later I began experiencing pain and had an X-ray which showed loosening of the prosthesis. Foolishly, I let it go, moved to Minnesota, and limped along. Finally in 2023, I consulted Dr. Bircher who discovered my prosthesis was literally hanging by a thread. He explained all the risks of surgery as well as the advantages, and he performed the operation in October 2023. The results have been fantastic. I was in an immobilizing soft cast for 3 weeks but already walking with a walker within days of the surgery. I have had no pain. I have been doing home therapy and outpatient therapy at the excellent TCO facility in Plymouth. I have a new lease on life. Dr. Bircher is a compassionate surgeon with tremendous experience and I can recommend him highly. You cannot go wrong with Dr. Bircher.