Patient Testimonials

I had suffered 18 years of pain in both my knees until being referred to Twin Cities Orthopedics. After meeting with Dr. James Bircher and his team, we scheduled the robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery through the TCO EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program which helped get me back to a quality of life that I haven’t had for 18 years. Thank you Dr. Bircher, and to all of your medical team including the physical therapy staff.

I have nothing but fantastic things to say about Dr. Scott Anseth, his team and the EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program. At age 58, I had a total knee replacement on October 1. Within 2 weeks, I was well on my way to recovery with physical therapy sessions in person and at home. Within 6 weeks, I was doing some Peloton classes at home and within 8 weeks, taking my dog for hourlong walks.

The EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program was first class, and made it very easy to ask questions and get help as needed. My physical therapist (Aubrey) was awesome, and kept me motivated and improving. At 3 months, I’m itching to hit a few tennis balls and am taking longer walks incorporating hills. This has been a very positive experience for me and I would highly recommend Dr. Anseth and the EXCEL program at TCO.

I’m a 66 year old female and my story begins when I had my left hip replaced at another facility in 2020. It came time to have my other hip replaced and a friend of mine advised me to have the anterior hip replacement done by this wonderful surgeon, Dr. Owen O’Neill. After talking with my friend for a while, he had me convinced to set up an appointment with Dr. O’Neill and I’m glad I did. The scheduling was quick and he’s a wonderful doctor with a wonderful care team.

It was a breeze. I had a one night stay at the EXCEL Care Suites and I was sent home with a packaged lunch the following morning. How wonderful is that? I had very little pain and one week later I was walking on my own without a walker or cane! I was shocked at how fast the anterior hip replacement recovery was compared to the posterior hip replacement.

If you ever need to have a hip replacement, don’t put it off. Choose the anterior hip replacement with Dr. Owen O’Neill. I can’t wait until this summer so I can get back to camping! Before my hip replacement, walking on uneven ground or even standing for any length of time was the worst! I thought my camping days were coming to an end. I’m here to say I had my operation in September 2024 and I already know I am not going to have that problem anymore with camping, as I’m already walking up and down my basement steps and dong all my house hold activities, including raking on uneven ground! I can’t wait to camp and enjoy life again pain-free. Set up an appointment with Dr. Owen O’Neill, you will be glad you did.

I have been seeing Dr. Jeffrey Mair at TCO for my orthopedic concerns for quite a few years based on a friend referral. I made the right choice in having Dr. Mair as my orthopedic surgeon. It was time to have my right knee replaced. Dr. Mair completed the surgery in the spring of 2024 and I have had great results. My surgery was completed at the Two Twelve Surgery Center in Chaska through TCO and I went through their EXCEL Program. The care I received from Dr. Mair, his staff, and everyone in the EXCEL Program was great. My scar is nearly unnoticeable and I’m more than happy with my new knee. I will be having my other knee replaced by Dr. Mair and I will again be going through their EXCEL Program. I have recommended Dr. Mair and TCO to others and will continue to recommend them. I am confident my next surgery will go as great as my first one.

When my active lifestyle was compromised by osteoarthritis of the hip, I was referred to Dr. Owen O’Neill by a relative who had an outstanding experience with him. His expertise with anterior hip replacement, his demeanor, and his exceptional staff made choosing him an easy decision.

TCO’s EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program streamlines the entire process. From the overnight stay at a nearby care suite to the ease of the bundled invoice to my insurance plan, this program is top-notch. My surgery was on September 3rd and was a real success for me. I moved well after surgery, easily managed my pain, and there were few restrictions other than following Dr. O’Neill’s protocols. I even attended an event 2.5 weeks after surgery and walked easily without a need for any apparatus. I’m convinced the anterior approach is the way to go to get back to life quickly.

I’ve had two follow-up appointments and X-rays and as of November 5th, I am cleared without restrictions (except long-distance running). I will have a standard follow-up appointment in one year. If you’re searching for excellence in a surgeon and team, I wholeheartedly recommend you schedule an appointment with Dr. O’Neill.

I continually made excuses on why it wouldn’t make sense to have the robotic-assisted knee replacement done until I could retire. My quality of life had gotten worse to the point where I was having trouble with simple day to day activities. My family were constantly asking me to go get my knee fixed. They could tell I was in a lot of pain most of the time. I was struggling to sleep; I had no end in sight. Finally, I decided to go to TCO to have Dr. Bircher look at it. He recommended to have surgery because he felt he could help me have a better quality of life. He suggested the EXCEL Program, he felt it was a good fit for me because of my age 56. He was very honest, and said it wasn’t going to be easy, but if I worked hard and followed the plan, I should have good results. The day of the surgery I was extremely nervous, I started to doubt my decision to do it. Then walked in Dr. Bircher, smile on his face as usual. He went through everything that was going to happen, and what to expect going forward. Then to my surprise he asked if he could pray with me. The nervousness went away, I knew I was in good hands. When I awoke, I felt good. They brought me to my room at the Plymouth Orthopedic Surgery Center. This is where my recovery began, and Dr. Bircher checked on me a few times while I was there. He said if I need anything to let him know. The pain I had post-surgery was nothing compared to what I had been dealing with for years. I worked hard and followed the plan set for me, everyday seemed to get better and better. Now, here I am 4 months after surgery and I got my life back. I wish I would have had surgery years ago; I will never put anything like this off again. A huge Thank You goes out to Dr. Bircher and his incredible team at TCO.

After visiting with two other orthopedic surgeons, a friend suggested I meet with Dr. Owen O’Neill at TCO. This friend had both hips replaced by Dr. O’Neill about 10 years ago. Her goal was to be back riding her horse within eight weeks of the surgery and in both cases, she was. While most hip surgeons use the posterior incision method, Dr. O’Neill uses the minimally invasive anterior technique. I knew as soon as I met Dr. O’Neill that I was willing to put my hip health in his hands, and he was able to schedule surgery for five weeks out. Every step of the process was shared with me in advance. After the morning surgery, I was moved to the overnight facility where I stayed until the next morning with round-the-clock care including physical therapy. Dr. O’Neill visited me the morning after surgery, and I was released to go home. Within three weeks, I was driving again and by six weeks, I had resumed most normal activities. My hip pain was gone immediately after surgery, and I have had no pain since then. I was able to climb stairs the day after surgery and as part of the EXCEL Surgery & Recovery program, I walked three times a day until I was walking over an hour a day. This was a life-changing surgery for me. I have resumed regular exercise and travel and am pain-free. In hindsight, I would not have waited so long to have the surgery, but I did so out of fear. Dr. O’Neill is an excellent surgeon, and he and his team at Twin Cities Orthopedics took very good care of me.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Paul Crowe and his care team, as well as the EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program through TCO. I dealt with crippling back pain for so many years and had to undergo an L5-S1 spinal fusion at 32 years old. All aspects of the EXCEL program are top-notch, and you can tell there was so much thought put into patient care and comfort. Dr. Crowe visited me several times after my procedure. He was great to chat with, answered all my questions, and gave me some encouragement for healing. I am now nearly three years out from my procedure, and I feel better than I ever have. I have my life back and can do activities I couldn’t before. I owe everything to Dr. Crowe, his team, and TCO.

Ten weeks ago I had hip replacement surgery with Dr. Owen O’Neill. I highly recommend him and his talented team.

Dr. O’Neill listened and answered all my questions before and after surgery. The EXCEL Surgery and Recovery program makes the entire process (scheduling, insurance, check-in, overnight stay, prescription meds, follow-up appointments, etc.) seamless. Every person I encountered was friendly, reassuring, and competent. The recommendations for at-home recovery were easy to follow. I found the post-surgery walking program motivating and helpful.

I now walk faster and without a limp. I am more flexible and move without stiffness and pain. I am getting much more out of my workout classes with my new hip! I am grateful for Dr. O’Neill and his entire team.

Excellent surgery care, all went very well. The EXCEL program is a blessing. All aspects of the experience went quite well all the way through physical therapy.