Patient Testimonials

During the fall of 2021, I tore my ACL and meniscus playing football. I was worried about the process ahead of me. Luckily TCO was partnered with my school to take care of situations like mine. My surgeon, Dr. Ryan Hess, was astronomical when it came to taking the steps needed to have a healthy recovery. He made me feel at home with all the staff and physical therapy that went along with the process. He made it clear that it was going to be tough but gave me confidence during the whole process. As a three-sport athlete of hockey, baseball and football, I was concerned that I would struggle to get back to the same level I left off at. Dr. Hess and the TCO family instilled that if I did what they said, that I would be even better than before. This became more than true for me. After 9 months of therapy and recovery, I got go to play baseball again. I learned that trusting the doctors at TCO would make me even better as I went on to make All-Section and the All-State tournament team. For this, I cannot thank Dr. Hess and Twin Cities Orthopedics enough!

Thank you for making this procedure so much easier than I had anticipated. Every stage of my surgery and recovery was professional and I would recommend Dr. Meyer and his team without any hesitation!

I was quite worried about having my knee replacement surgery for a few reasons: We only have an upstairs bathroom, we farm, and I worried about being able to get in and out of equipment, pain after surgery, and the list goes on. I discussed the bathroom issue with both Dr. Mair and Cody, his physician assistant, prior to surgery and was assured I’d be taught how to manage the stairs prior to going home after surgery. I was taught how to do stairs, one at a time at first, and it wasn’t difficult. I had a discussion with Dr. Mair prior to my surgery about pain management and I was pleasantly surprised. As far as getting in and out of farm equipment, I was using a skid loader (anyone who has used one knows they aren’t the easiest to get in and out of) three months after surgery with no issues. I just cannot say enough great things about how my knee replacement surgery and aftercare went, and there were so many people that helped me be successful. First, Dr. Mair and his team at TCO and the surgery center told me what to expect (no sugar-coating), performed the surgery, and gave me FABULOUS after-care! Then the work really began at TCO Therapy and Sports Performance in Waconia where I did all my physical therapy. WOW, WOW, WOW – they are so great! The atmosphere there is one of the most positive I have every experienced. Even the therapists you aren’t working closely with are helpful. My physical therapists helped me get started with my therapy and showed me what I needed to do to get great results. My favorite part is that even though I came in with a walker (necessary for a short time following surgery), they treated me like a whole person, not invalid. Maybe that’s not vital for everyone, but I noticed it right away and it made a huge difference in how my mind dealt with this. My physical therapy package also included ten sessions of “on my own therapy”, with specific exercises that I did at the therapy center, and a program called Total Joint. I would describe this as transitioning from post-surgery to real life. They helped me so much and I took advantage of everything included with my therapy package. I cannot say enough how important physical therapy and home exercises are. I don’t think anyone should be “pushed” into receiving a joint replacement because it’s a very personal decision and you need to be ready, but I am so glad I had mine done! Be prepared to work HARD, even before you leave the hospital or surgery center, and then EVEN HARDER as you begin your out-patient therapy and exercises at home. It pays off! A little extra benefit I had, which I believe is a result of my knee replacement, is that my cholesterol lowered by almost 100 points! I haven’t been able to go for walks for several years and it was to a point where a statin was being recommended, which I didn’t want to use a statin. I couldn’t start walking outside until a couple months after surgery, because it was icy, but I started ASAP, and am really enjoying that again!

Dr. Hartigan saw me for both knees and shoulder. He was impressive and had such a great way of communicating and putting me at ease. He helped me with an exercise program that brought my knees back to being able to hike and exercise again. He also ordered an injection for my shoulder that I haven’t had any further issue with. Thank you Dr. Hartigan for getting me back on my game!

I had my left knee done in February. I don’t think you could be treated any better! Dr. Peterson is a star and explained everything in a way a normal person could understand. Christine and Jenna in the office are the absolute nicest people you will ever meet. Molly the physician assistant is great too, I’m so glad I went to them! Christine is so well versed in her job. She is so thorough and dots every “I” and crosses every “T”. Thank you to the whole staff!

After an accident falling on my knee, Dr. Hunt knew almost immediately what the subsequent MRI was going to reveal, simply from physical examination and discussion of my symptoms. The MRI confirmed EXACTLY what he predicted, and what the meniscus repair surgery would entail. His explanations and recommendations were so clear and concise that my confidence in the procedure was total. After the surgery, by following the recommended rest/ice/elevate therapy for 2 days, my knee was totally pain-free and ready for gradual return to normal. I can’t imagine a better scenario and outcome than this one. Thank you Dr. Hunt!

A year ago on March 29, 2021 I broke the femur bone in my left leg. I have dealt with polio since I was a child, so I have severe disabilities relating to that disease. Because of polio and osteoporosis, my bones are quite soft and we weren’t sure if the break would heal properly. Dr. Ockuly performed surgery, adding a plate and pins in my leg. He advised me not to put any weight on it until he felt it was safe to do so. The break has healed and I’m able to walk again. Dr. Ockuly is very knowledgeable and competent. He followed my progress routinely and now, a year later, I’m doing great and getting around just fine. I highly recommend him if you have an injury that needs the attention of a highly qualified orthopedic doctor. He’s an all-around very caring and informative person. I told him I’m able to walk again because of him, and will forever be thankful for that.

The entire process was done with excellent communication and great care throughout. Physical therapy is a must. The highly trained staff crafted and executed a rehabilitation program that met and exceeded my expectations. The counseling also relieved a lot of stress, when certain aches and pains were noted as a part of the typical healing process. They are an awesome group of very talented and thorough professionals. They communicate very well between the surgery team, the after care, and the therapy teams. The bonus is that the scar is hardly noticeable. I would highly recommend Twin Cities Orthopedics, Dr. Christopher Meyer, and team.

On December 10, 2021, I fell off my work truck and severed my quad tendons in my right leg. I went to TCO Urgent Care in Blaine, where they told me more about my injury. I really just thought that I bruised my leg, but didn’t think it would be anything worse than that. I met with Dr. Ridley and planned out my surgery and recovery. My surgery was on December 20th. Two weeks later, I started therapy at the TCO Blaine clinic. I primarily saw Abby and Tina. They are both so great to work with. I was having trouble with my range of motion and they came up with a great plan to get my leg moving, and worked with me to get the results I needed. They were both so professional and so friendly.

This has been a heck of a long trip. I never had surgery before and this was a hard for me to accept. I drive for a living, and to be told I would be out of work for 5 months and couldn’t drive for 3 months, was not something I wanted to hear. Dr. Ridley was so fantastic to work with and very encouraging. I got my release to work after 4 months. I still have a lot of strengthening to do, but I am now back at work and feeling good about that. I can’t say enough about how TCO helped me out from beginning to end. I would highly recommend them to anyone who would need their services.

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Simonet‘s 20 years or so.  Due to prednisone use to control colitis, the bones in my knees were damaged. My left knee was replaced 17 years ago and is still doing great. The right knee was replaced 5 years ago, and is also keeping up with good results. I’m currently dealing with a shoulder injury and have 100% confidence that Dr. Simonet will get me through this as well.