Patient Testimonials

One morning my son slipped on the ice at work and broke his ankle. I rushed to his work not knowing what to expect but I knew it was bad if he asked them to call me. When I got there he was sitting in a wheelchair with a very unstable foot. I called my husband to let him know that we were on the way to TCO. As soon as I pulled up in front of the building, the medical team were waiting at the door to receive him. They took him straight to get an X-ray and confirmed his ankle was broken. When I saw the X-rays, I knew right away this was a major injury.

Coincidentally, Dr. Engasser was just finishing up a procedure when he was called for a consult. He said this needs to be fixed right away. He asked my son if he had eaten and thankfully he had not. Dr. Engasser gave us an overview of the procedure and said it would take about 45 minutes to repair. He asked us if we wanted him to take my son to surgery now or wait. I was shocked by his response as this was the day before Thanksgiving and he was finished with his case load for the day. My husband and said in unison, “let’s do it today”. Dr. Engasser called pre-op and booked the procedure. Not knowing how long we would be there, I took my girls back home so they didn’t have to wait. I was on my way back and my husband called and said the procedure was DONE.

The surgery went well and his post-op scan was beautiful. Dr. Engasser repaired the ankle with screws that were placed beautifully and with surgical precision. The entire process from the time we entered the facility until the time we left was 4 hours. Nothing in medicine, especially involving surgery takes 4 hours! I’m still in awe because if we were at a hospital, we would still be waiting.

To Dr. Engasser and the entire medical personnel at Twin Cities Orthopedics and the Minnesota Valley Surgery Center, THANK YOU for the outstanding patient care provided to my son! I am thankful and forever grateful!

Dr. Hofkens saw me on an emergency basis in early June 2022. I am so grateful for his care and concern to my needs. I had no idea how serious my situation was until after the emergency surgery. I’m now two months into my recovery and am totally mobile again, due to his diligence and knowledge. If needed in the future, I won’t hesitate to recommend Dr. Hofkens or TCO to others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

My wife, Sean, and I were on our first bicycle ride in decades a few weeks ago when Sean’s bike slipped out from under her. She suffered a distal radial fracture. We were an hour from our Lakeville home, so we went to the TCO urgent care facility in Stillwater. There, we saw Dr. Matthew Hofkens and his staff. Dr. Hofkens quickly diagnosed the fracture, stabilized it, prescribed pain medication, and made a follow-up appointment for Sean with Dr. Stephen Olmsted at the TCO clinic in Burnsville. Dr. Olmsted scheduled Sean for surgery three days later. Less than a week following her injury, Sean had necessary corrective treatment and was on her way to recovery. The quality of medical treatment provided by both Dr. Hofkens and Dr. Olmsted was top notch. Both Docs have a great bedside manner. They are very professional in their approach; however, equally important is their sense of humor. Perhaps most remarkable is the fact that EVERY SINGLE PERSON with whom we interacted at the Stillwater and Burnsville clinics, as well as at the Surgery Center, demonstrated concern, compassion, and dedication to swiftly resolving Sean’s dilemma. Add to the list the lady who answered the phone when Sean needed a boost in pain medication and Dr. Hofkens’ follow-up text to Sean to check on her . . . all outstanding! Wait times were virtually zero. Timeline: Injury and emergency treatment on Saturday, appointment with Dr. Olmsted on Tuesday, surgery Friday, removable splint and home therapy instructions the following Thursday. Drs. Hofkens and Olmsted, and their entire staff, provided the finest medical care we’ve ever experienced in our long lives!

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.

Well if falling on the ice doesn’t get you, the gym will! I was so careful watching my step this winter on the slippery sidewalks and driveway. Then in my small group fitness class, I fell backwards off a box while doing alternating box jumps. Needless to say, I braced myself with my right hand and broke my wrist. I went to TCO Urgent Care and was informed I needed surgery. From the moment I had x-rays to the time of surgery and beyond, TCO has partnered with me to make sure I made a full recovery. Dr. Bakker was able to perform surgery within 4 days of me breaking my wrist, so I wouldn’t have to suffer over the weekend. Everything went smoothly and I was amazed how quickly I could resume driving. The TCO team is there to get you to the finish line!! It was a great experience. I would highly recommend Dr. Bakker and his team!

My son broke both bones in his lower ankle in a basketball game in July. Dr. Holthusen and his team got him in for surgery quickly so our son could start his road to recovery as soon as possible. Being a 3 sport athlete with plans to also play basketball in college, every single day mattered. He was able to return for the end of his senior football season and is currently playing a full basketball season and looking forward to baseball season! We are so incredibly thankful for Dr. Holthusen and his staff for taking excellent care of him! He is back to 100%.

My 10 year old had his finger tip cut off by a door hinge. It was a traumatic experience thinking about how the process of surgery and healing would go. Dr. Olmsted did a fantastic job. When I was sitting with my son pre-surgery, I asked Dr. Olmsted how long it will take. His response was exactly what I wanted to hear. He said usually 30-45 minutes but I’m going to take my time to make sure it’s done just right. And he certainly did! It looks amazing and you can hardly tell the difference. I highly recommend Dr. Olmsted. We are so pleased with the end results.

I am not usually one to write a testimonial. However in this case, the care, professionalism, knowledge, and empathy I received from Dr. Bjerke and his staff was truly and utterly amazing! I suffered a knee injury while playing pickleball and saw a physician at an orthopedic clinic that was not TCO. I was told after a review of my MRI, that my knee was “bone on bone” and I needed a full replacement. I am in my late 40’s and have been active my entire life. I was completely shocked by this diagnosis. Upon reiterating this information to a few close friends, I was told by one to reach out to Dr. Anseth at TCO for a second opinion. I did so and to say I was impressed and relieved is an understatement. Dr. Anseth was truly amazing and assured me he would not give up until we figured out the reason for the knee pain I was dealing with.

We started with a cortisone injection and I felt great, unfortunately it was short lived as my knee “gave out” again a few weeks later while walking. I went to TCO Edina Urgent Care and a second MRI was performed. Dr. Anseth called me personally and told me the MRI showed a root tear in my meniscus and that this was a specialized tear and he wanted me to see Dr. Bjerke as soon as possible for further treatment. I immediately made an appointment to see Dr. Bjerke and I can honestly say it was the best decision ever! Dr. Bjerke thoroughly explained the tear, along with his recommendation for surgery.

Dr. Bjerke performed the surgery in June 2021 and I was non-weight bearing for 6 weeks (6 very long weeks but it was well worth it in the end). From the time I first met with Dr. Bjerke, through surgery, and all of my follow up appointments, he has ALWAYS been completely transparent. He was clear about the process, the time frame, the importance of putting in the work with physical therapy, as well as following the PT exercises on my own.

I am 6 months post-surgery and my knee feels amazing! My physical therapists, Dustin S. and Katie G., at TCO Vadnais Heights are the BEST! I could not have done this without them. Their professionalism, encouragement, and positivity was second to none and I am forever grateful to them. With every single encounter I had at TCO, I was treated with the utmost professionalism and genuine compassion – from Dr. Anseth and his care team, to the TCO Urgent Care team, to Dr. Bjerke and his amazing care team, to every single professional on the day of my surgery at TCO, and Dustin S. and Katie G. at TCO Vadnais Heights PT. I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Bjerke (and Dr. Anseth) as well as their amazing care teams/surgical teams/and physical therapist teams!

I had a great experience at TCO. My hand was cut pretty badly and Dr. Ridley and his team did a great job in repairing it. My hand is just like new. It feels and looks great. Thank you so much. I am very happy with the outcome.

After my wrist fracture was stabilized at TCO Urgent Care, Dr. Koch moved her schedule around the very next day and was able to conduct my much needed surgery. I was relieved that healing could begin and the risk of nerve damage was minimized. With outstanding follow through and hand therapy by Sue Anderson, I regained 100% mobility and strength. I could not be happier with the care or the kindness.