Patient Testimonials

My husband and I both had surgery done by Dr. Dwivedi and we couldn’t be more pleased. He is easy to talk to and he did great work! I no longer have numbness in my hands and arms at night. Overall, I am very happy!

Dr. Bircher did a great job, and he is a real nice guy. I would recommend him for anyone who needs a knee replacement.

From my first visit with Dr. Shashank Dwivedi he was personable, professional, and very informative. He made sure I fully understood the condition of my thumb and the surgery that would fix it. During the procedure, he continued to explain each step, which was especially reassuring since I was not under anesthesia. His clear communication and calming manner made the entire experience very positive. I highly recommend Dr. Dwivedi.

I was diagnosed with a “frozen” shoulder and was recommended to start physical therapy first. I was very resistant. I just wanted to take a pill and have the pain gone. Since that wasn’t going to happen, I got in contact with Twin Cities Orthopedics in Staples. They were very flexible with scheduling, and easy to work with. They explained why they were scheduling me with two different therapists. If one was gone, the other one can step right in and already know what my treatment plan was. I thought that was brilliant and very forward thinking. The facility is very clean and the equipment was impressive. Allyson Sima and Peyton Landowski were my therapists. They were very kind, gentle, and very respectful regarding my pain. They truly do listen and want to work with patients. The key with them is, “working with you”. I really can’t say enough about TCO Staples. It’s a great facility with great therapists. I would highly recommend them!

My journey to a full knee replacement began in 1998 when I tore my ACL playing league basketball with some friends. The surgery and recovery went great, but mentally it took a few years before I returned to playing.

Around 2015, I began feeling pain in my kneecap area. A patellar band helped for a while, but over the next year the pain increased enough that I saw a knee specialist. After hearing my history and symptoms, he believed arthritis and bone spurs were setting in, which imaging confirmed. He explained that the ACL injury and surgery often accelerate this kind of deterioration.

Over the following years, the pain slowly increased as soft tissue deteriorated. I tried physical therapy, scope surgeries, and cortisone shots. They helped, but it was clear I was heading toward a full knee replacement. Because of my age, my doctor encouraged me to wait as long asI felt I could, which was a scary moment.

About two years ago, I finally felt limited enough that I knew it was time to seriously consider getting an artificial knee, but how do you find the right doctor? It’s easy to look up reviews for movies, restaurants, or contractors, but in the medical field it’s much harder. Reviews are also so dependent on personal experience, which may not reflect what I would encounter.

Fortunately, I have a friend who provides equipment used in operating rooms. With extensive exposure to orthopedic surgeons, he recommended three that he would ‘send his own mother to.’ That helped me narrow things down quickly. I was able to schedule a consult with Dr. Brian Bjerke at TCO. He gave me a full rundown of the surgery and recovery. I was scared and nervous, but he gave me a confidence and optimism I didn’t have before.

From the beginning, it was made clear that while the surgeon matters tremendously, my success depended just as much on me. I needed to be as strong and flexible as possible going into surgery and remain consistent with PT afterwards. Some of the bad stories I’d heard involved patients who didn’t do that.

About nine months before surgery, I started working out. Because of the pain, I hadn’t been doing much, so I searched YouTube for exercises I could manage and found chair workouts. I did them daily from January to July. I saw major improvements in strength, flexibility, and even pain. At my consult, Dr. Bjerke confirmed I was ready. I also did four PT sessions before surgery to learn the exercises I’d be doing after.

I give the entire TCO team tremendous credit. I’m also extremely proud of the work I put in pre-and post-surgery. Because of that, I was at or ahead of schedule on all my milestones. Within a month, I was doing near-normal activities again: working in the yard, my workshop, around the house, and attending my son’s high school games.

The entire process was scary, but I am so happy with the results. I want to share my experience so others can have the same confidence as they go through their own journey.

Dr. Flikkema and his care team have been exceptional! I have truly been blown away at the professionalism and care they have all shown and provided. I was assigned to Dr. Flikkema when I called and asked for a surgeon that specialized in shoulder care. Boy, did I get lucky! I had prolonged seeing a specialist for about three years as I was trying various solutions to resolve my shoulder pain on my own. I spent thousands of dollars on massages, manipulation and mobility care, and physical therapy through my work benefits. The pain always came back.

Upon my first visit, Dr. Flikkema listened to my history and created a plan. He showed compassion and answered all my questions. I had a few concerns, and he put me at ease. Once he confirmed that I had two tears in two different tendons of my rotator cuff, the surgery date was scheduled. His care team jumped into action. Kendall, his Care Coordinator, got me set up with my physical therapist and follow appointments during the pre-op phase. She kindly filled in my work LOA paperwork and did it all in a timely manner. She was quick to follow up the same day whenever I reached out.

As surgery day approached, Matt, Dr. Flikkema’s physician assistant touched base several times via phone calls. He was very friendly and made sure to answer any additional questions I had. I was so impressed that his care team showed a sense of urgency in getting back to me. I knew I was in good hands with what I was experiencing and I hadn’t even had the surgery yet.

Surgery day went great! Dr. Flikkema stopped in before surgery as well as after to speak with my family member. I was nervous and dreaded going home to live with discomfort and pain for the next several weeks. But guess what? I was surprisingly very comfortable with the medication prescribed and the use of the NICE (cold and compression) machine, all suggested by his care team. My pain level was a low 1-2. It felt a little achy here and there, but I was never above a pain level of 2. I truly felt blessed to have had the experience I had. It was very helpful to have the extended team that personally called me and came to my house to help me use the ZYNEX Tens unit for pain relief and the NICE machine. Again, super professional, and helpful. That NICE machine was a saving grace for ease of use and simplicity. I highly recommend this machine, even if it isn’t covered by insurance. It was worth every penny, and it literally helped make my post-op recovery pain free!

The final care team I worked with was my physical therapist, Nirvan, and his student Sara. Both have been fantastic in getting me off on the right steps to mobility, strength, and an improved range of motion. They continue to support me and answer questions with care and compassion.

Finally, a huge thank you to Twin Cities Orthopedics! I feel blessed and lucky to have been given this experience with Dr. Flikkema. He is so knowledgeable, charismatic, patient-centered, and extremely professional. Even at my 2-week post-op appointment, he spent a few minutes going through my arthroscopic pictures and explained how he performed my surgery. Few physicians do that so thank you! You and all your team are exceptional! It was the best medical experience, and I contribute that to you and your trained, patient-centered care team! On a scale of a 1 out of 10, this team deserves a 12!

I am so glad that I had my full knee replacement surgery done as the experience exceeded my expectations. The surgery was easy and pain free. Afterwards, I was driven to the EXCEL Program that was a few miles down the road from the TCO Edina location at the Crosstown Surgery Center. I ordered restaurant food from the Taverns menu and was educated on physical therapy. They put an ice compression pack on my leg which I ended up renting for four weeks so I could use it at home. On the same day as the procedure, I was already starting physical therapy. There was no pain which surprised me. I had some good pain medication after surgery and the nerve blocks really helped. I didn’t have pain until I got home and the pain medication and nerve block started wearing off.

You want to try and stay ahead of the pain as much as you can. I did physical therapy twice a day, walked as much as I was comfortable with, and didn’t work for two and a half weeks. I went to my scheduled physical therapy sessions and when those ended, I did them independently at home. It has now been two months and I am pain free.

This new knee is already better and more painless than my original knee. I can finally work out after not being able to for about 12 years. Previously, I could work out my upper body, but since I couldn’t use one leg very well, it was more likely that I wouldn’t work out at all. I climb stairs, do leg squats, snowshoe thru deep snow for miles. It is wonderful!

I had a lot of swelling and bruising but it is still reducing every week. The EXCEL Program really is a miracle, and I would do it again if I need my other knee replaced. I am impressed with TCO and everyone I met. They make it so you are on your way to better health and with confidence. Super great!

In 2015, at the age of 43, I made the best decision of my life to have Dr. Stephen Olmsted perform ligament reconstruction surgery on my right wrist. Prior to the surgery, I had an unknown injury and was unable to perform basic tasks like washing dishes and writing. I am an avid fisherman, and I even stopped fishing due to the pain in my wrist. Dr. Olmsted was very thorough before moving forward with surgery and explained that the procedure was not guaranteed to be successful.

The surgery was a huge success, and after about a year, my wrist was stronger than ever. I was able to return to all the activities I love. It has now been over 10 years since my surgery, and I can confidently say that my wrist feels stronger than ever without any limitations.  A big thank you goes out to Dr. Stephen Olmsted! I highly recommend him for any wrist surgery. I am so glad I made the decision to have surgery with him over 10 years ago.

I cannot speak highly enough about the exceptional care I received from Dr. Carlson, Jacob Szalat, and the entire scheduling team. My total hip replacement went incredibly well, and being part of the EXCEL Program made the experience even better. From start to finish, I felt supported and respected. Every question and concern was addressed thoughtfully. Scheduling was seamless, and I was able to get the timing I needed without stress. Thanks to the outstanding care team at Twin Cities Orthopedics, I am moving forward with confidence and gratitude!

Dr. Carlson did a great job working with me both during pre-op and post-op. The procedure was easier and the recovery was faster than I thought they would be. I had physical therapy with Mike Stay and Catherine Slaymaker at TCO Plymouth. Just under six weeks out, I am done with PT and getting back to my normal routine. The services I have gotten from Twin Cities Orthopedics have always been outstanding. Besides my recent knee replacement, they have done two shoulder replacements and an ankle replacement for me. I highly recommend Dr. Carlson and the entire care staff at TCO. They will be doing my future joint replacements.