Patient Testimonials

Dr. Carlson and his team were outstanding in every respect. From my initial meeting with he and Jake, I knew I was in good hands. From start to finish, the surgery and aftercare were excellent. I am now 3 weeks post hip replacement surgery and am walking without aids – and I am experiencing very little pain. I cannot recommend Dr. Carlson and his team more highly.

In early 2024, I was referred to Dr. Owen O’Neill, for an initial consultation on my hip pain. Having siblings who have had hip and/or knee replacement, I was well “educated” on the signs of arthritis, and what to expect. Initially, I had mild symptoms for probably 2-3 years, but it hadn’t yet restricted me from doing the things I wanted to do. This all changed rapidly, in the summer of 2024. Throughout the process, Dr. O’Neill and his team were very helpful in explaining to me my progression, what to expect, timelines, and even how recovery might look. Knowing what I know now, how much this procedure positively affected my life, I would strongly recommend Dr. Owen O’Neill and his team. I had never had surgery prior to this procedure, so I was very anxious and nervous about the entire process. Now, 9 weeks post-surgery, I’m 100% cleared to resume all activities, and cannot believe how simple the process was, how fast I was mobile, how easy the PT was to complete; as well as what little pain I was in. This is a proven procedure, delivered by a fantastic surgeon, with life changing results. When/if my other hip needs to be replaced someday, it’s a no-brainer decision for me. Thank you for helping me get my active life back!

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.

In December of 2024 I had a hip replacement, and in September of 2022 I had a total knee replacement, both done by Dr. Panek and his team. I had procrastinated in making the decision about a knee replacement, but after a consultation with Dr. Panek, I scheduled it the same day. I didn’t hesitate to schedule the hip when it was indicated. In both cases, I was up and walking the same day, and in the spring of 2023, walking 15-20k steps per day while traveling, and back to all of the physical activities I love. Today, a month after the hip replacement, I’m pain-free and walking unassisted. Dr. Panek and his team are excellent practitioners, patient and caring. The whole process from pre-surgery education, case management – Thank you Sandy! Scheduling and anything I needed – Thank you Amy! Pain management, recovery in the care suites, post-surgery care – Thank you Nathan! And, physical therapy – Thank you Blake! They contributed to the best outcomes I could’ve hoped for.

Big shout out to Dr. Hunt and his team for providing me with amazing and compassionate care, going out of their way to make sure I was as comfortable as possible after my hip replacement. They had me walking on day one! I felt instant relief, kicking myself for not doing it sooner. Special thanks to Jennifer and Angela for flawlessly coordinating and setting everything up . Thank you to my Nurses, Kenzie, Keeley, Jill, Maggie, Mark and Joan, the anesthesiologists, and again, thank you Dr. Hunt.

Dr. TJ Ridley took great care of my hip, I love my new hip! He was recommended by my sister who has had both knees replaced by Dr. Ridley. We are keeping him in the family 🙂

Meticulous skill and experience are worth seeking out. I found that at TCO with Dr. O’Neill and his staff.

I have struggled with bilateral hip osteoarthritis for the past 7 years. I was losing my ability to walk and the pain was becoming intolerable when I met Dr. Jeffrey Mair, an orthopedic surgeon with TCO Waconia. Previous orthopedic providers had refused to treat me and simply provided bariatric surgery flyers and told me to come back when I hit the magic BMI. While BMI is a very important factor in success, it is not the only factor to be considered. Dr Mair, from the moment I met him, gave me confidence that he would do my surgeries, likely 3 to 6 months apart and he believed I could be successful. I had my first hip replacement in June. I was compliant in all the team’s recommendations for post operative recovery and was ready for my second hip in August. Just 2 months apart. The procedures have been life changing. I am no longer living with pain, I am getting stronger every week allowing me to get back to activities that I love. Dr Mair, Cody his PA and my PT champions Deb and Natalie have been my personal cheerleaders throughout the entire process. I cannot say enough about the treatment team that helped me find determination to succeed when I felt so hopeless about my physical future. If you are living with hip pain, see Dr. Mair. He will listen, he will care and he will find treatment that helps you get back in to your life. If I can do it, so can you.

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.

It was getting harder for me to walk and I was having trouble sleeping because of the pain. After I met with Dr. James Bircher, he recommended a hip replacement and it was the best thing I could have done. On the day of the surgery he talked to me and even said a prayer, which not only impressed me but put me at ease. I feel so much better. After a couple of months, I am walking and sleeping so much better. I am so happy I went through the procedure. I am eventually going to have the other hip replaced and I will definitely go back to Dr. Bircher. The only difference will be is that I won’t wait as long as I did with the first hip. I would highly recommend Dr. Bircher and his teams. They were great.