Patient Testimonials

I had severe pain in my lower back, which was a bulged disc. Dr. Hoel explained the situation and suggested surgery. After surgery I couldn’t believe how great I felt! Recovery time only took a few days and I felt good as new! I’ve suffered lower back pain for years. It is so wonderful to have a permanent solution. Dr. Hoel is friendly and personable, with a sense of humor. Doctor/Patient rapport is important to me, as it makes me feel at ease and comfortable. I would highly recommend Dr. Hoel for back/spine treatment.

Dr. Davis performed an anterior cervical discectomy fusion on me in 2009. I was in agony prior to seeing Dr. Davis and I woke up pain-free after the surgery! He’s an amazing surgeon and I will be forever grateful to him.

I saw Dr. Hoel for Spinal Stenosis. After my surgery, I had no more pain and felt terrific. I would highly recommend him.

I went to see Dr. Hoel after two failed attempts of a cortisone spinal injection that was supposed to shrink the cyst in my spine. I was in a lot of pain and had numbness in both legs for about 3 months. Dr. Hoel performed surgery and removed the cyst, and I now am able to walk my dog again and be on my legs for more than 5 minutes. I feel like I have my life back. I received excellent care and he was very attentive to my problem and explained everything so I could understand it.

I can’t thank Dr. Hoel enough for helping my husband. We have seen so many doctors and TCO was the only place that, not only cared, but understood my husband’s pain regarding his herniated disc. He had surgery today and he his feeling a million times better. Thank you again for giving me my husband back! Dr. Hoel is an awesome surgeon. I would trust him with my family or best of friends. Bonus note: he is one of the good ones.

From getting my surgery approved until I was released after my surgery, Dr. Davis and his staff were great to work with. Dr. Davis did a disc replacement in my neck, between the C5 and C6 vertebra. There was instant pain relief in my neck and shoulders. The entire TCO staff and Dr. Davis were great and helped in every way to see that I was taken care of. TCO is a great place and I will recommend them and Dr. Davis to everyone who needs orthopedic care.

had my first back surgery in 1998. It was a L4-L5 discectomy. I did not recover well from that surgery. I was left with a lot of scar tissue that was interfering with nerves and causing lots of pain. I had my second back surgery in 2000, which was also a L4-L5 discectomy. This surgery left even more scar tissue and so my journey with pain continued.

For the next twenty years, I battled with low back pain, low leg pain and foot pain. I lost count of how many steroid injections I received in this time frame (I am guessing around 30). I had to treat my pain with pain medication. I was taking a narcotic pain medication for 22 years. Not too many days went by that I didn’t need to take the pills. I also had three RFAs (radio frequency ablation) and plenty of physical therapy.

In late 2019, my back pain, leg and foot pain were becoming unbearable. My pain specialist recommended I go see Dr. Frederick Harris, which turned out to be the greatest advice I have ever received. My first impression of Dr. Harris was awesome! He was friendly, patient and a great listener. I knew right away that I liked him and, most importantly, I trusted him. He ordered an MRI so that he could see exactly what was going on with my low back.

I went home and read Dr. Harris’ bio on the TCO web site. He was working as an engineer for NASA. But he know in his heart, he was here to make a difference in people’s lives. He decided to chase him dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.

My second appointment was where I learned I had a herniation at L4-L5 and L5-S1. I also learned that I broke my back! The bone that held L5 and S1 vertebrae’s together had broken clean through and my spine shifted out of place. Dr. Harris performed my 3rd back surgery. He removed the disks between L4-L5 and L5-S1, removed the broken bone, fused L4 through S1 with metal spacers, two rods and six screws. He also, very meticulously, freed up all the nerves from scar tissue. This is what separates Dr. Harris from everyone else!

My full recovery took a year but I feel great! I don’t need any pain medication or treatments. I do stretching and an exercise program daily to keep my back and core strong. I am looking forward to playing golf this summer. The results of this surgery has changed my life! Dr. Frederick Harris is an angel sent from heaven! Thank you for following your dreams. I can’t thank you enough Dr. Harris, but THANK YOU!

I recently had microdiscectomy surgery with Dr. Hoel on 3/3/2021 after injuring my back on 2/16/2021. His P.A., Jason Ash, reviewed MRI results with me on 2/25/2021, which revealed an extruded disc herniation impinging on my L3 nerve root. I was in absolute agony and was unable to stand or lay without excruciating pain, and was experiencing weakness in my leg. Dr. Hoel kindly worked me into his schedule for a surgical consultation that very same day.

He was wonderful – very compassionate and understanding of the intense pain I was in, patient answering all my questions, and thorough in presenting treatment options with corresponding risks and rewards. I opted to move forward with surgery as soon as possible because the pain was incapacitating. Dr. Hoel’s team fit me into his schedule the following week and my surgery was a complete success! I’m now pain free and ever so grateful for Dr. Hoel’s capable and compassionate care, and for everyone at TCO who helped me swiftly get the treatment I needed. My experience at M Health Fairview was also great, and it was a bonus to hear my pre-op and post-op nurses sing Dr. Hoel’s praises! Thanks again!

I can’t say enough wonderful things about Dr. Hoel. Prior to going to TCO, I had been diagnosed multiple times over the years for a back muscle strain. He immediately linked sciatica to my back pain, and ordered an MRI to discover that I had a badly herniated disc. I tried physical therapy and a cortisone shot previously, without any relief. Because I was in such pain that I couldn’t live my life normally, I opted to have a microdiscectomy. Friends and family had me scared of the potential risks for surgery. But Dr. Hoel explained the procedure clearly, and took time to answer all my questions. He was extremely sympathetic to my pain and situation, and his care coordinator was able to schedule the surgery for the time frame I had requested. He explained the procedure clearly, and took time to answer all my questions. The surgery team was wonderful in their compassion and the care they provided me. It’s been two weeks since my surgery and I am happy to say I’m nearly pain free – it feels like a miracle compared to my symptoms prior to the surgery. I can’t thank Dr. Hoel and the entire TCO staff enough. I highly recommend TCO and Dr. Hoel. Thank you!

Dr. Banks is the best orthopedic surgeon I have ever known. He has been our physician (for my wife and I) since 2004. When I say he’s the best, it is not only about his skills but the way he interacts with his patients and staff. Dr. Banks takes his time to listen carefully with respect to your concerns. He is a kind, knowledgeable person and is surrounded by very professional, friendly and helpful staff. My wife and I have had two surgeries each, performed successfully by him. My wife has had two cervical fusions and I have had two lumbar discectomies. Each surgery went very well and the recoveries were fast. My last surgery was done on December 22, 2020. I called it my ‘life saving surgery’ because the pain I had before it was gone. Big thanks Dr. Banks!