Patient Testimonials

After being in pain for a year from a prior surgery, I went to see Dr. Coetzee at TCO and he is unbelievable. He saved me years of pain and suffering after he performed my surgery. He is a very confident and awesome physician. Thank you so much!

My son (15 year old) was dealing with lateral foot pain. X-rays showed 5th metatarsal fractures on his right foot, and then they showed on his left foot 1 month later. There was no mechanism of injury, he just started hurting with an increase in summer sporting activities. We saw multiple physicians due to the unusual presentation, as it’s typically only one foot and caused by a traumatic event. Fellow healthcare friends advised me to see Dr. Langer. Immediately, he knew we were dealing with a growth plate issue which had an appearance of fractures on an X-ray, but did not clinically present itself like a fracture. He found why this was happening, evaluated X-ray results appropriately, but also used his clinical judgement and was logical in his diagnosis. Without him, my son would be sitting out of fall sports due to these fractures, which weren’t fractures in the first place! Thank you Dr. Langer. You are the BEST!

Dr. Ridley is a smart and caring Orthopedic Surgeon. He knows his stuff. I’ll be using him for my shoulder replacement next year. I am very pleased with his intelligence and bedside manner.

Last summer (July 2020), I was on a 110-mile bike packing journey and ended up fraying my Achilles tendon on my left foot. The pain was excruciating and I was scared because I also didn’t have medical coverage. I felt uneasy and anxious. I was so desperate to get back outside and doing what I love most, running, but scared since I didn’t know how I was going to be able to cover the costs to get it seen or taken care of.

Needless to say, the front support staff at TCO helped me through the process of payment options before I even stepped into the door and they also got me an appointment right away. When I first met Steve Churchill, DPT, the stress and worry seemed to dissipate almost immediately. His knowledge, calm demeanor, and the time he took to answer all my questions left me reassured in a way I don’t normally feel walking away from a doctor’s office.

Steve set me up on a plan right away to return to activity (the first couple of weeks were rest). I felt confident knowing that I had a plan in place, and I was able to check in with him if I had any questions come up or to simply monitor the progress and when to proceed or go back to the next/previous phase of recovery. I was able to return to running by September with his help and expertise. He was even able to identify some of the root sources of why I injured my Achilles and helped me with a prescribed plan to strengthen areas of weakness.

Without Steve and TCO I wouldn’t have been able to win let alone run my first ever 50 mile ultra this summer. I am incredibly grateful for their willingness to work with me financially as well as the energy, effort, and care that Steve provided. Happy running!

My daughter fell down the stairs I took her to the emergency room and found out her left foot was broken! That’s no fun for a kid in the summer. Dr. Ridley was amazing! He is so professional and caring. My daughter was very scared and he was amazing with her. He made her feel very confident that he was going to make sure things were okay. He made her relax about everything and I will definitely go back to him! If anyone is looking for an Orthopedic surgeon, he is the man!! He is very thorough and put all our worries and concerns to the side. You are in good hands with this doctor for sure!

I broke my ankle while out walking and required surgery to repair it. I now have a plate and a bunch of screws in my ankle, but I really don’t notice them to be honest. Though thinking about the surgery was scary, the folks at Twin Cities Orthopedics were spectacular at guiding me through the process with confidence. Dr. Edward Kelly was my surgeon and he not only did excellent work in my operation, but also has been very helpful as I recover by being very encouraging and straightforward abut what to expect along the way. All-in-all, though breaking my ankle was a tough pill to swallow, the staff at TCO has made the entire experience one that was handled with class and great care. My advice to any “ankle-breakers” out there is simply this: you can fully trust the medical processionals at TCO. Five years ago they successfully fixed a neck issue I had via surgery and now more recently have fixed my ankle. In both cases, they were top-notch. I would highly recommend them to anyone!

This was my first visit to TCO and my first visit with Dr. TJ Ridley. From the minute I entered the building, I had a good feeling and felt comfortable. Each of the staff members I encountered before meeting with Dr. Ridley were kind and welcoming. My visit with Dr. Ridley was exceptional. He was very interested in hearing my story of the pain in my foot. He was thorough in his questioning. When my results came in, he explained so I could understand what he saw in my tests. Dr. Ridley was clear in his prognosis and he immediately had a plan for me to implement. At this time I have no upcoming appointment as long as I follow his recommendations. I highly recommend Dr. TJ Ridley to anyone looking for an orthopedic physician who is highly qualified and one who truly cares about his patients.

Staying healthy and active in winter is hard enough. When you add COVID on top of that, it seems impossible! Feeling cooped up, I decided to meet a friend to play some tennis at an indoor court. Just as we were finishing up, I felt my ankle roll. Originally, I thought I could walk it off, but after taking 4 steps, I knew the pain I was feeling wasn’t going to go away on its own. It was something not even ice and elevation could fix. That’s when I contacted TCO to start my healing process.

I met with Dr. William Engasser and his team, and they were so kind and caring. We discussed my injury, and it was determined I had sustained a Lisfranc injury of the foot. Dr. Engasser and his team went through the step-by-step process of how my recovery would go and made me feel safe in their hands.

Following my surgery, Dr. Engasser told me the procedure went even better than he had hoped! I will be starting the physical therapy process soon, but I am more than confident with the TCO team behind me. I know am in great hands! Thank you so much TCO.

What I thought was just an ankle sprain, turned into a life threatening emergency. After the swelling went down on my foot, I thought everything was good. Turns out, I had broken my foot and was unaware the bone had become infected. As the infection became worse, I started to feel extremely sick and ended up in the emergency room. Thanks to TCO’s Dr. TJ Ridley, they found the issue and immediately prepped me for surgery. I remember Dr. Ridley looking at the MRI and saying, “This surgery has gone from trying to save your foot, to saving your life.”

Due to the severe infection, I needed a below the knee amputation. It was a shock, but considering the alternative, there was nothing else to do. I spent 6 days in the hospital, and it took two surgeries to make sure I was clear of the infection. Dr. Ridley assured me I would be up and walking before too long, and after a few weeks of recovery at home, I was able to get the staples removed. Things were progressing nicely and Dr. Ridley referred me to some amazing people who fitted for my prosthetic leg.

By the time I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Ridley, I was able to walk into his office without aid of crutches or a cane. My goal was to be able to walk on my own by Christmas and I’m proud to say I accomplished just that. I have now finished up my physical therapy, and my life is pretty much back to normal. Dr. Ridley and his staff were excellent to work with, always available to answer any questions I had, and helped me maintain a positive attitude, which I believe helped my recovery. I can’t say thank you enough. You literally saved my life.

Watch Bill’s Story Here: https://streamable.com/getje6

I was very pleased with the prompt appointment and the diagnosis was thorough, which left me able to make my own choices. Surgery for both of my feet is scheduled and I will be very happy to walk without pain or stumbling. The people I encountered at TCO were professional but showed a sense of humor and concern. Dr. Coetzee was very clear in the diagnosis and I look forward to my next visit. Thank you to all.