Patient Testimonials

When I first tore my ACL while Nordic skiing, I was scared I would never run as fast again. The thought of missing my sophomore track season and my junior cross country season scared me, but my perspective changed when I came to TCO.

My family chose TCO because of its good reputation for getting athletes back from injury, and I am super glad we made that decision. Dr. TJ Ridley and my physical therapists, Lee Burtraw, DPT, Beth Kadrlik, DPT, and Kate Cayton, DPT, helped me return to cross country faster than I ever imagined. My PTs gave me different challenging exercises each week which was fun and kept me active throughout my recovery process.

By the end of the cross country season, I was faster than ever due to my newfound strength from PT. I achieved a personal record at the cross country state meet and even qualified for state in Nordic skiing and track for the first time!

Huge shout out to Dr. Ridley for doing such a great job on my surgery and helping me through the recovery process. All the TCO staff I interacted with inspired me to look into being a physical therapist or a sports physician! If anyone has torn their ACL or has any other injury, I highly recommend TCO for a great overall experience.

For hip replacement, Dr. Knowlan exclusively uses the anterior (front) approach, which offers a faster recovery time than the posterior (rear) approach. A layman’s view is that the posterior approach involves cutting of muscle, while the anterior method allows the surgeon to push muscles aside. The anterior method requires more expertise on the part of the surgeon, because the view of the hip joint is more restricted.

My surgery went unbelievably well and I’m 83 years old. I barely had any pain and took just Tylenol for a few days. I went to a wedding 4 days after surgery (using a walker). Shortly after that I switched to a cane, which I ditched about 2-3 weeks after surgery. I was driving 3 weeks post-surgery, even though surgery was for my right hip.

I began pre-op exercises about a month before surgery and have been doing the post-op exercises (it is now 7 weeks since surgery). It is important to do these to strengthen key muscles since it reduces recovery time. Dr. Knowlan says I don’t have any restrictions for movement now and I can golf.

Dr. Knowlan’s team was wonderful. Also, everyone at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater was very caring. Even the food was excellent!

Dr. Steven Meisterling is an expert at hip replacements. He is intelligent, professional, kind, patient and a fantastic surgeon! He performed a total hip replacement 8 months ago and I am thrilled with the outcome. He and his dedicated team provided me with excellent care. I definitely give him my highest recommendation. I will return to him if I ever need the other hip done.

Dr. Wanderman has an amazing bedside manner, an easy going approach, and is very good at explaining exactly what she is doing step by step. Highly recommend her!

I want to extend a thank you to Dr. Ryan and her care team. I really appreciated that she took the time to understand my problem, her eagerness to help, and her overall demeanor. Truthfully, it was one of the best in-clinic experiences I have ever had!

Dr. Bircher is the best! I’d been fighting a knee replacement for years. When I met him in November, I knew my knee was pretty bad. We talked about knee replacement but he could tell I wasn’t ready. He told me I would know when I was ready. That reality hit me in February of this year. I couldn’t have asked for better results after the surgery. I was accepted into the TCO EXCEL Program, which I strongly suggest you try if you are able to. The nursing staff was exceptional at the hospital right after surgery as were the nurses at the Recovery Suites. The EXCEL nurse coordinator kept in contact with me to make sure all was well. Everyone involved was great.

Before I had my surgery, I told Dr. Bircher all I wanted was to be able to come back and tell him that I wish I had done the surgery sooner. I was happy to oblige! I am now scheduled for a total knee replacement on my other knee. I know not all surgeries have the same results but I am counting on Dr. Birchers skill to pull it out! Dr. Bircher always made sure he answered all my questions and spent as much time with me as I needed to feel comfortable. He is concerned, compassionate and very skilled. That is not something you find in too many doctors/surgeons these days. I look forward to a normal life again!

There are no words that can adequately express my thanks and gratitude to Dr. Deal for restoring my “functional” life.  My pain badly affected my quality of life as I was unable to walk short distances or sit comfortably.  It took a leap of faith to agree to spine surgery, but 2 months post-op I was able to vacation in Florida and 3 months post-op, I traveled to Hawaii (all with the permission of my physical therapist).  This could not have happened without Dr. Deal’s surgical skills and expertise plus the care and compassion shown by him and the TCO medical team.  It is reassuring that they continue to be readily accessible should I have any future questions or concerns.

Dr. Bircher performed a full knee replacement in April and upon completion of 12 weeks of physical therapy at TCO Brooklyn Park, I’m back to working out at my health club and enjoying my life again without knee pain. The staff at TCO are totally amazing in working with patients to obtain the necessary range of motion in our recovery.

Dr. Saterbak is one of the best doctors I have seen. I would recommend her to anyone that needs a shoulder or knee replacement. She is very understanding and has time to talk and listen about your aches and pains. She comes up with a treatment plan and is very good at it. 5 stars all the way!

Dr. Ridley and his team are nothing short of amazing. He performed hip surgery on both of my daughters’ hips. Dr. Ridley is caring, professional and sees the treatment all the way through, from pre-op to the final day of physical therapy. The communication with his while team, including the physical therapist, was exceptional. We have loved our experience with TCO, Dr. Ridley, his team and Liz, the physical therapist. Thanks to them, my daughter is on her way to being her active self again and we cannot thank Dr. Ridley enough. He’s the BEST!