Patient Testimonials

I had back surgery on November 8, 2022 by Dr. Rick Davis. He performed an anterior interbody lumbar spinal fusion cage on my back because I have degenerative disc disease. So far I am doing well on my recovery. I think he did a wonderful job.

In August 2022, I had surgery to fuse my L5 to S1 vertebrae. I went to a few surgeons before selecting Dr. Hoel. I felt like just another case to the other surgeons. Dr. Hoel was different. He fully listened to me to determine the root cause of my back and leg pain. I felt like an actual person. The surgery went very well! I feel great post-surgery. I am so glad I chose Dr. Hoel.

I was referred to Dr. Robert Brenner at TCO, and I couldn’t be more pleased with his care. I was having intense pain that would shoot down my right leg and prevented me from sleeping while also making it difficult to walk. Dr. Brenner started with taking x-rays, an MRI, and a series of Epidurals, and encouraged some Physical Therapy sessions. I liked his approach of not having to jump right into surgery. I ended up needing surgery, after finding that I had herniated three discs and pinched my sciatic nerve to the point my right leg hardly functioned. A few weeks after surgery, I was able to hike mountains in Colorado, and I am now living a very normal life with continued Physical Therapy and using proper lifting techniques. My right leg is still recovering from the nerve damage, and I thank God daily for the care I received from Dr. Brenner. TCO and Dr. Brenner have been so amazingly kind and professional. Having operated a family business with over 50 employees, my expectations of professionalism are very high. Dr. Brenner and all the staff at TCO not only met my expectations but exceeded them abundantly.  I highly recommend TCO!

I cannot say enough great things about the staff, procedure, after care, all of it! I moved to Texas and flew specifically back to Minnesota just to have my surgery here and I’m so glad I did. Dr. Crowe, his care team at the surgery center and all the nurses at the excel program care suites, everyone was so accommodating and kind. It made my anxiety about the procedure so much less and I am healing so much better because of the care I received!

I have struggled with lower back pain for years. Two months ago, I developed severe sciatica to the point I couldn’t walk and numbness in my left foot. I left the ER with pain medications but no real answers (an x-ray was done rather than an MRI). My children and I have all seen physicians at TCO for various orthopedic care, so I called right away and got an appointment in just a few days. Dr. Omar knew exactly was the problem was and ordered an MRI to confirm that I had a herniated disc at L5 which was causing nerve impingement, the pain and numbness form my left lower back and down my left leg. When I had no improvement with an epidural, surgery was the next step. Julie, Dr. Omar’s care coordinator, is wonderful! She worked with me and I was able to get my surgery scheduled in less than two weeks! The hospital staff were fantastic, and Dr. Omar was reassuring both before and after my surgery. He always took the time to make sure my questions were answered and follow up care is scheduled ahead of time, in order to eliminate wait times in my treatment and recovery. I highly recommend Dr. Omar and his staff!

When I started having shooting pains in my hip and leg, I wasn’t sure where to go. Started with my family doctor and ended up at TCO talking to Dr. Deal. I had an MRI, which showed a pinching of nerves in the lower back from bone spurs. Went through an outpatient surgery within their facility and was back home within half a day. What impressed me the most was this was diagnosed and taken care of within 6 weeks. Just a great facility, fantastic people, and no more pain. I appreciate the process that made it as simple as possible for me, and the professionalism shown by everyone that helped me. Five stars!

After living with chronic back pain for over 20 years, I finally decided to seek help. After meeting with Dr. Wanderman, I found out that my scoliosis had worsened over 25 years to a 55-degree curve and included two herniated disks. Normal daily tasks had become extremely painful and I was preparing myself to accept that living with this pain was something I was going to have to do. Dr. Wanderman changed my life. He is professional, he listens, gives honest feedback, and is an advocate for his patients. My case was major. It included consulting other medical professionals, two surgeries and seven days in the hospital. I am now six months post op and I have zero (I never thought I would say that) back pain. Thanks to Dr. Wanderman, I can enjoy the things I love; spending time with my family, gardening, traveling, hiking, biking and so much more. This Doctor deserves so much praise, he saved my life!

Dr. Michalik’s ablation procedure in my spinal lumbar was such a great success, and I can sleep at night for the first time in many, many years! I would recommend scheduling an appointment with Dr. Michalik for a consultation for the ablation procedure to anyone suffering from nerve pain.

Last Summer I ended up having several surgeries on my back to alleviate a double herniation at my S1/L5. I happen to have a tattoo right where the incisions had to go. Dr. Garry Banks is a MASTER surgeon. You can barely see the scar, he didn’t cut right thru the tattoo and he got the herniation out too. I show everyone and brag about him. 10/10 would recommend!!!

Dr. Hoel‘s diagnosis for a bulging disc, causing leg pain in both of my legs, was spot on. He recommended a minimally invasive surgery (decompression) of L4/L5. The surgery was great and my leg pain was completely gone in 2 weeks! He is the only surgeon in my 65 years that ever personally called me the day after to see how I was doing. I would highly recommend Dr. Hoel to anyone with back issues. He is great!