Patient Testimonials

Truly the best care, treatment, and attention I have ever received from any specialty or physician. Dr. Nolan really cares about people and is very thorough. His Care Coordinator, Blane, is awesome as well. I feel like I am in the right place with them as my care team. I drive far and it is worth it.

Amazing results! Typically, you can expect recovery to take three to five months for the procedure I received. I was walking without assistance the same day as my surgery. I had zero pain during recovery. I was mowing my yard and back in the gym four days after surgery with full leg workouts two weeks after surgery. 124-degree bend radius at only five weeks. I could not ask for a better experience. Far exceeded expectations!

Dr. Bircher did a wonderful job helping me understand the surgery and the time it takes to heal. He told me how important it was to keep up with physical therapy post-surgery.

I am very impressed with the care received from Dr. Reid. I look forward to his help and guidance in the future. I would highly recommend Dr. Reid!

Dr. Jason Barry and Rebecca Munson did a great job replacing my right shoulder. Before I had surgery, I couldn’t even lift a coffee cup or tie my shoes. Now, I am five weeks post-surgery and have a 25-pound limit. I have full range of motion and no pain. Dr. Barry also performed replacement surgery on my left shoulder back in 2018. Both are working well and have given me a new lease on life.  Dr. Barry and Rebecca Munson are an amazing care team if you ever need replacement surgery.

Dr. Mittelsteadt performed my ankle replacement surgery three months ago and it feels great. I am now setting up an appointment to have him do a knee replacement as well. The procedure went just as Dr. Mittelsteadt and his Team explained. The staff is very helpful in setting up all my appointments concerning my procedure.

Dr. Arntson is the best! He was highly recommended to me for a knee replacement revision. I had been in pain and discomfort for several years and he repaired my knee replacement. I am so grateful to have had him as my surgeon. You can easily tell he really cares about his patients. I feel that I received the very best professional care available by Dr. Arntson and his team at TCO.

Dr. Bjerke performed surgery on my left shoulder on October 9th, 2024. I have been pleased with the results. My mobility and strength are improving every day; and I have not experienced any pain or soreness in my shoulder for quite some time.

There are four important factors in the success of my surgery:

1. I had an excellent surgeon and team that performed the surgery
2. I received a note in my post-surgery packet regarding a rental of cold compress machine. I did rent one and used it extensively for the first two to three weeks after surgery. This was very important in managing my pain. I did not have to use any prescribed pain medicine, just a heavy regiment of Advil and Tylenol.
3. Dr. Bjerke referred me to Mike Dickey for physical therapy. He is very good! He knows how to rehabilitate a shoulder and knows the intricacies of what is going to happen in recovery each week. I was very faithful following his rehab exercises and it paid off.
4. I had a great caregiver as my wife who has first-hand experience in rotator-cuff surgeries.

My activity level is improving. I am playing tennis three times a week, and I am not feeling any aftereffects in my shoulder. My workouts at the gym are going well. I am using light weights but also staying away from exercises that Dr. Bjerke and Mike Dickey recommended not doing. I am still doing my Mike Dickey rehab exercises faithfully. This was not a fun surgery. Recovery is long and I still feel like I am recovering. But I am glad I had it done and it is over. I made the right decision. Thank you to Dr. Bjerke being a great doctor and working with me through this multi-year shoulder experience.

Dr. Mittelsteadt took time explaining what he found on my X-rays and discussed what the outlook was for me and my feet. He gave me options, explaining each one, but leaving the decision up to me. My follow up appointment was the same. He took the time to hear the updates and go over what my next steps would be. I always leave the office feeling heard.

My wife has many good doctors from Duluth to Rochester, but none of them she respects, trusts, and appreciates as much as Dr. Banks. He is the only one she has faith in touching her spine. After many years of back and neck surgeries, he has alleviated her pain and kept her moving forward. More than that, he has restored her quality and outlook of life.

Our first visit with Dr. Banks was probably about 15 years ago for a second opinion on her lower back. Another surgeon was suggesting a disc replacement. We later discovered Dr. Banks had watched Carol walk into the building. One of his first questions was when she last had an MRI scan of her neck. I wasn’t impressed as we were there for her lower back. He explained the way she was walking was an indication of a neck issue. He was correct as she had two damaged vertebrae in her neck and bone spurs against the spinal cord. Not related to the disc the other surgeon had wanted to replace. Carol was sold and to this day will look nowhere else but to Dr. Banks for her spine issues. Dr. Banks and Sharla are the best!