Patient Testimonials

Bruce N., who works for Eagle Valley Bank in St. Croix Falls, scheduled himself for rotator cuff surgery last August to repair a substantial ¾ inch tear. “I love to golf and hunt,” he explained, “so surgery had to be between seasons ––after golf and before deer hunting!” Bruce made a point to note that he did give up bird hunting to rehab his shoulder! He declined a post-surgery hospital stay and only had severe pain for a day or two. “Because I’d been through this surgery before, I knew what to expect,” he said. “I took Thursday and Friday off and planned to be at work on Monday, which I was.”

The first two-three weeks were the most difficult since Bruce is right-handed. “Friends told me to be prepared and they were right, but it was still a struggle. Try eating, shaving, brushing your teeth, and so on left-handed,” he said. “It was challenging! Overall, though, I had a great experience with the Medical Center, Dr. Steven Meisterling, and all who took care of me!”

Jerry, a financial consultant and diabetic living in St. Croix Falls, finally scheduled himself for a total shoulder replacement surgery this past December. “I’d had arthritis in my right shoulder for many years, but kept putting off surgery,” Wyatt explained. “I’d played golf regularly for many years, but eventually my shoulder began to hurt too much to play. Even worse, I wasn’t sleeping well any longer either. Eventually, my shoulder started to drop for no reason and I couldn’t even drink a cup of coffee without spilling!”

On the advice of Wyatt’s family doctor, SCRMC Internist Jim Wallace, Jerry finally made an appointment with Dr. Steven Meisterling. “Twin Cities Orthopedics and Dr. Meisterling have an excellent reputation for the surgery, and given my experience, they certainly deserve it!” “I was born in the Baker House and delivered by Dr. Jake Riegel long before this hospital existed,” Wyatt continued, “so to have a team of specialists like this available locally in this very modern hospital is simply wonderful! It was also a tremendous convenience for me and my family to be here at SCRMC for my care and surgery.”

Rob, a retired Lindstrom resident, had been living with level 8 or 9 (i.e. very bad) pain for two years because of degenerative arthritis in both shoulders. His right shoulder was most in need of repair because calcium build-up and bone loss had made the use of his right arm agonizing, and rehabilitation and medication failed to contain it. “Going into surgery, there was the possibility of a partial or a total replacement,” said Rob, “but due to bone loss, only a partial replacement was possible.”

After his hemi-arthroplasty surgery, Rob made note of the “excellent care” he received from his primary provider, Dr. Jamey Sotis, and from his surgeon,  Dr. Steven Meisterling. “I felt very comfortable in the OR, and appreciated all the explanation and detail on what would be happening,” he said. “I wouldn’t have chosen to go anywhere else.” He was hospitalized for just two days after surgery, followed by eight weeks of therapy and an arm sling. Robertson also commented that “my rehab at the Lindstrom Clinic was excellent and very personalized.” His pain continued to decrease as strength and use of his arm increased.

I am a business consultant for a computer software company and have the pleasure of traveling 40-45 weeks out of the year. The last 5 years, prior to my anterior hip replacement in December 2013, was extremely difficult; to the point that I had to have wheelchair assistance when I was at the airport. I could no longer walk to my gate to catch my plane. I could no longer bend over to tie my shoe laces. I had to walk with a cane and could only walk short distances because of the pain. I knew I had to do something to improve my quality of life.

Then in April of 2013, I received an announcement letter from Dr. O’Neill‘s office about the new minimal invasive anterior hip replacement surgery. I had never heard of this type of surgery even though I had been an Orthopedic and Operating Nurse for 8 years and my wife a nurse for 30 years. I knew I had to attend this presentation. After the presentation, I immediately setup an appointment to see Dr. O’Neill. He told me that I had severe osteoarthritis in both my hips and knees, but the right hip joint was the worse. My only concern was whether or not he would be willing to operate on a person of size. Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am 6 feet tall and weigh over 300 lbs. He told me it would be difficult but he was not going to turn me away and tell me to lose weight first.

We scheduled the surgery for the middle of December because I could use my vacation time, but I had to be back to work the first week of January to start traveling again for work. All the information I received was exceptional, not only from his office but also from the hospital I was to have my surgery.

Now, everyone as heard that nurses make the worse patients, and I was not the exception. I had had two previous major surgeries in 2013 and couldn’t wait to get out of those hospitals. They were not very pleasant stays. For my hip surgery, Dr. O’Neill suggested, St Francis Hospital in Shakopee, MN and I am glad I took his suggestion. My stay in the hospital was longer than normal, 3 days. The hospital was outstanding, great facility and hospital rooms (all private), wonderful people; from admissions, pre-op nurses and anesthetists to the physical therapists and occupational therapist, but it was the floor nurses and nursing assistants that really restored my faith in the nursing profession. They were outstanding!!! I am know where I will be for my next hip surgery in December of 2014.

The surgery went well, I was up walking with a walker the next day and a cane the day after. My wife and oldest daughter couldn’t believe their eyes. They hadn’t seen me walk that quickly and without pain for years. I was back traveling for work 3 weeks after surgery. I also got the same response from the people at work.

Yes, my quality of life has improved greatly and is getting better with each passing week.

Thanks, Dr. O’Neill, Jessie, Alyssa and the people at St. Francis Hospital.

I had been fortunate my whole life with great energy and great health. For 77 years I had worked hard, played hard, and enjoyed life. In 2013 it all changed very quickly. One Sunday, I sat down and could not stand up. My knee would not support me. I just felt terrible pain, pain, pain.

My primary care physician told me that an orthopedic specialist was needed and sent me to Twin Cities Orthopedics. I had no appointment and I was desperate. They said no doctor was available. After pleading my case, Dr. O’Neill had mercy and took me as an add-on patient. My x-rays showed bone on bone. I had a cortisone shot but the relief was short lived. I needed surgery.

Dr. O’Neill performed my first surgery in August. Fabulous! I was back at work in 3 weeks! But now the left knee seemed worse than ever. This time I could hardly wait to get the surgery done. Again, everything went great. I went home from rehab in 10 days, on Dec 23rd. On the way home I got groceries and cooked Christmas dinner for my family.

Today, one year later, my knees are great and again I will cook Christmas dinner for my family, very grateful for my new knees which give me truly a new life. A huge thank you to Dr. O’Neill and his great staff. I would highly recommend him to anyone needing this surgery.

Below is a letter from James, who traveled from Canada to have a hip replacement with Dr. Owen O’Neill through the EXCEL Program at Twin Cities Orthopedics.

It’s funny how life works; how small the world seems to be, and how sometimes things just happen to go just right. This is where my story begins. After several months of enduring hip pain, it became apparent that it was time for a total hip replacement (THR). One of the keys for me, and what I think was important at my age (72), was the length of recovery after the surgery. I am an avid golfer both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and in Marco Island, Florida; an outdoor cottage guy during the Canadian summers; and a guy that you could say just can’t sit still for five minutes. I was introduced to Dr. Owen O’Neill and Twin Cities Orthopedics from a close friend here in Toronto. After a short conversation with Dr. O’Neill and a brief discussion over an X-ray I had sent him, I knew this was the perfect fit for me. The THR being performed at Excel would have me back to my life of mobility in a third of the time of other THR procedures up here in Toronto. From the moment I arrived in Minneapolis, it was evident that the Excel team provides patients with coordinated care as advertised. I experienced outstanding care from all administration, all the dedicated nurses, and especially from Dr. Owen O’Neill himself. All questions about the surgery – and more importantly for me, about my recovery – were answered. After the surgery, the first thing I uttered to my son and daughter was, “What time is my tee time?” I just felt great – recovering for a few days in the private orthopedic suite getting nothing but the best care from all the excellent nurses on staff. I can’t thank them enough for making me feel so comfortable after the surgery. After a few more days recovering in a hotel suite provided by Excel and another examination/X-ray with Dr. O’Neill, I was on my way back home to Toronto. I had my surgery on a Monday morning and I was on a plane back to Toronto on Friday afternoon, and that is all due to the expertise of Dr. O’Neill and his team. Now, a few weeks after the surgery, family and friends can’t believe how quickly I’m recovering after having had a total hip replacement. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to my follow-up X-ray in about three weeks and a discussion via phone with Dr. O’Neill to discuss when I can make it back to the first tee to shave a few strokes off the scorecard. Most sincerely, James M.- Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dennis, an avid bicyclist, had been living with arthritis pain in his knees for years. He was able to manage that pain, thanks to Dr. Andrea Saterbak, who had been treating him for the past four years with cortisone shots and other noninvasive measures. “By 2013, I knew he was living his life around his knee pain,” she said. She suggested that it was time for his left knee to be replaced.

Read the full story here.

I am 76 years old and had an anterior right hip replacement done by Dr. O’Neill. I had had a previous hip replacement done on the left side by another doctor using the posterior approach in 2009. Though the outcomes for both surgeries were positive, the recovery period for the anterior approach was considerably less painful and much shorter.

After the posterior surgery, I had to use a walker for a period of three to four weeks and a cane for several weeks beyond that. After a period of three months, I was still noticeably limping on that leg. With that recovery experience, I was not looking forward to repeating that procedure again when my right hip began to fail in 2013. To my good fortune, a friend at my church told me about her recent hip replacement which had been performed by Dr. O’Neill. She said that he had used an anterior approach which required a 5 inch incision in contrast to the eight or nine inch incision required in the posterior approach. She said her total recovery time was less than three weeks.

That sounded really positive to me, so I made an appointment to see Dr. O’Neill. When I met with Dr. O’Neill, I was immediately impressed with his very positive attitude. He thoroughly explained the anterior approach and showed me photos of previous patients who had the anterior surgery. I was amazed to see those patients walking only with a cane several days after their surgeries. In addition to Dr. O’Neill’s positive attitude, I was impressed with his personality and patient relations. He was not the typical “surgical god” that some surgeons pretend to be. He was a real person.

Because I really liked Dr. O’Neill and his approach, I had my right hip replaced by him. After staying in the hospital for two days, I returned home to begin my recovery. To my amazement, after less than a week, I was walking using only a cane for support. Because I wanted to impress Dr. O’Neill when I went to see him for a nine day check-up, I walked into the exam room using no cane or walker. Since his staff was very impressed with my progress, they took some videos of me walking in the hall. I really had no pain and was walking with no limp.

In a short period of time after that, I was again able to play golf and to ice skate, two of my favorite activities which had been limited because of the hip pain. Though both of my replaced hips work well now, the process of getting to a functional level was totally different. If you are considering having a hip replacement, I would encourage you to consider the anterior approach. To my good fortune and to yours if you choose the anterior approach, no doctor is better qualified to perform the procedure than Dr. O’Neill.

I had a hip replacement on my right hip in June 2013 with the new direct anterior approach. I never expected things to be good so soon. Dr. O’Neill indicated that the healing time was short and that I would be up and about rather quickly, but the healing exceeded my expectations. By two weeks after the operation

I am walking comfortably, do not need any supports such as a walker or a cane, I can bend comfortably, and I get up and down, walk, get in an out of cars, etc. more comfortably than I have been able to do in years.

The operation, the post operation care, the attention of the staff and Dr. O’Neill’s superb work deserves the highest commendation. All the information I received before the procedure was right on point, I was kept clearly informed every step of the way. I wish I had realized how easy this would be because I would not have waited this long to get this surgery. I feel like a new person and am grateful that such work can be done so well. Highest commendations to Dr. O’Neill and his staff.

I have been a teacher and boy’s high school hockey coach for almost 50 years. I am 70 years old and still coaching in Albert Lea. This past year my right hip was becoming so painful that I did all my coaching from the bench and didn’t skate at all. I went to Florida for stem cell therapy in hope that would rectify my condition. Part of the therapy included having a PRP treatment 6-8 weeks after the initial stem cell transplant. Dr. O’Neill offered this treatment. We met and I had an x-ray and then a conference. He explained that it was bone-on-bone and there was no evidence of improvement. He did give me the treatment and I came back in 6 weeks. No improvement. I then had a cortisone shot and it had no effect. I knew I was at the end of the line and so I asked Dr. O’Neill if he would do an anterior total hip replacement. We went over the procedure and on June 3rd I had the operation at St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee, MN.

Wow! What a pain-free experience. I had no pain from day one, and didn’t take one pain pill after being released from the hospital. I walked without any assistance. I didn’t need a walker, crutches, or a cane!

The staff at St. Francis was terrific! In fact, the x-ray tech was one of my former hockey players and the anesthetist was a former student of mine. Everyone was very professional, but very friendly and extremely caring. I left the hospital the day after my surgery.

Since the surgery I have been back for a 2 week and a 6 week checkup at which time I met with Dr. O’Neill and his assistant, Jessie. I have made steady progress throughout my recovery period. Five weeks after my surgery I skated for the first time and it felt great to be back on the ice again. I am looking forward to the coming hockey season. I couldn’t have had a better team of professionals, but moreover, great people with such an interest in my well-being and recovery. Their great personalities actually made this an enjoyable experience. My wife and I are also very grateful to Rebecca who in the pre and post-operative periods answered all of our calls and was so very pleasant and helpful.

I definitely would suggest this treatment to others. The people in Albert Lea have been amazed at my progress. I have recommended and given Dr. O’Neill’s name to many interested and prospective hip surgery candidates. I can only say “Thank You!” to Dr. O’Neill and his staff for their great work and for taking such good care of me!