Patient Testimonials

The treatment I received from Dr. O’Neill, the EXCEL team and TCO was fantastic! The continuity of care was complete- each doctor, nurse, therapist, PA, administrative assistant, care coordinator- you name it- everyone coordinated my care and progress in a way that is remarkable for most surgical procedures. I’m less than four months out from a full knee replacement, and able to do most things already, including daily swims half-way across the lake, one of my goals for summer here at the cabin. The only thing slowing me down now is the other knee- which also has arthritis and that I’ll be replacing later this year. Based on my experience with the first knee, I should be on cross country skis by February! I felt totally confident with Dr. O’Neill- he patiently answered ALL my questions before and after surgery- he took the time I needed to be comfortable about what would happen. Thank you to the entire team!

*Linda was a participant in TCO’s EXCEL program.

Prior to this knee replacement, I have had my other knee replaced and my left hip. Although I have no real complaints about my prior experience, this experience was like moving into the penthouse. From the time I stepped into the waiting room on the surgical floor at TCO, it always felt like personalized care. This includes preparation for surgery to recovery room and then transportation to the best of all: the care facility, which had a roomy private room with a nurse dedicated to me around the clock. One less day in the care facility than I spent in prior procedures in the hospital, and then home. Thanks to the able physical therapists who accurately judged my personal capabilities, my rehab was faster than on the prior knee replacement. I can’t wait for summer to start walking on the golf course again!

*Mick had a Knee Replacement performed by Dr. Owen O’Neill

I’m a 79 year old woman whose knees had become so bad that I could only walk for short distances without pain. Dr. O’Neill replaced first one knee and the other three months later. Two months after the second surgery I am able to walk over a mile without pain. I’m able to walk stairs with confidence, stoop to garden and generally back to my previous life. Dr. O’Neill made a huge difference in my life and I would (and have) heartily recommend him as a surgeon.

Jill M. (pictured on right) had an excellent experience from start to finish at TCO Plymouth, where she saw Jonathan Asp, MD (pictured on left) for her bothersome knee.”From the moment I walked into the office and met the front desk woman, I had a great time,” she said. “The nurse who roomed me was kind, friendly and put me at ease,” she said. She also appreciated how knowledgeable and helpful both the Physician Assistant and x-ray techs were. Upon learning that her knee injury was not serious, Jill was elated and thanked Dr. Asp, who she described as “proficient, timely, kind and funny.” She said her visit was “by far the best office experience I have ever had” and “highly recommends the clinic!”

Most people are aware that physical therapists play crucial roles in helping patients recover following injuries or orthopedic surgery. But therapists also work with patients to help them get into better shape before surgery, to shorten the post-surgical recovery time and expedite healing. Eighty-two year old Ann B., of Savage, is a good example. For several years, Ann had been plagued by steadily worsening pain in her right knee (four years earlier, she had undergone arthroscopic surgery to repair her left knee). “The pain had become terrible. I couldn’t walk through the living room without having to brace myself on furniture. I put off the surgery for two years, until I couldn’t bear it any longer.”After consulting with her orthopedic surgeon, Randy Lewis, MD, of Twin Cities Orthopedics, Ann decided to undergo knee replacement surgery, and an Oct. 1, 2010 date was set for the surgery. Dr. Lewis told his patient to expect a recovery period of about six months.In the packet of pre-op information the doctor gave her, Ann read about the importance of exercising prior to surgery, in order to enable a better, quicker recovery. She checked with Mark Froemke, PT, the director of physical therapy at Twin Cities Orthopedics’ Burnsville Clinic, who prescribed a daily exercise regimen she could do at home in the five weeks leading up to her operation.“In two visits prior to surgery we identified her limitations and gave her specific exercises,” Froemke explains. “She went home and did them consistently and that obviously made a difference.”Why are pre-surgical, prescribed exercises so important? “If you can go into surgery with a good range of motion and ability to straighten the knee, that makes rehab easier, quicker and less expensive. For example, if you go into surgery with a loss of 10 degrees in being able to straighten the knee,  having surgery doesn’t mean you will have good extension of the knee,” Froemke notes. “But if you do exercises to stretch the muscles around the knee, that will make it much easier.”Froemke’s examination of the knee indicated she lacked the ability to straighten the knee and also lacked strength in the quadriceps muscles, which support the knee. He suggested gentle, repetitive exercises to increase the knee’s flexibility – extending and bending the leg, and some mild resistance training using an exercise bike, with the amount of resistance appropriate for her physical condition and age.From his perspective, Ann proved to be an ideal patient, Froemke notes. “If you go into surgery with the attitude that you are going to do the exercises the therapist recommends and are consistently motivated – as Ann was – it makes a big difference in recovery.”“The therapists at the Transitional Care Unit (TCU) at the Masonic Home in Bloomington were also surprised at my recovery and I was released early from rehab to home”, Ann recalled. Post release from the TCU, she returned to the therapy clinic at TCO in Burnsville for three more exercise sessions to stretch muscles and improve her flexibility. She walked with a cane for about a week, and then was able to walk unaided, enjoying her annual vacation in Florida with enthusiasm. “I’m better than I thought I could be!”

“My whole family comes to Twin Cities Orthopedics,” said Jean G., of Maple Grove, who has referred her children, mother and extended family to the group. After a total knee replacement and a shoulder injury, Jean has become familiar with Jonathan Asp, MD and the physical therapists at Twin Cities Orthopedics Maple Grove. “I have been very impressed with all the doctors and therapists,” she said, “I prefer to come here for my therapy.” Jean added that her shoulder is fully healed and her knee is “getting better each day.”

Will R., of Brooklyn Center, has had both of his knees replaced by Jonathan Asp, MD over the past 2 years. His mobility has greatly improved and he has been able to return to work without restrictions.Will explains that having the first knee replacement procedure helped better prepare him for what to expect the second time around. He is also helping prepare friends he has referred to Dr. Asp for similar procedures “I’ve recommended Dr. Asp and Twin Cities Orthopedics to many friends who need knee surgeries,” he said. “I am so happy with the operation, the hospital care (North Memorial) and especially the therapy with Twin Cities Orthopedics. It made the whole procedure very routine.”

Anita didn’t realize the extent of the degeneration of her knees until after her bilateral knee replacements were complete. A six-year battle with rheumatoid arthritis had left her nearly crippled and in severe pain. The beginning of her journey back to the life she had once enjoyed started with a simple conversation with her neighbor. With encouragement from friends who had new knees, she sought the advice of Dr. Andrea Saterbak at St. Croix Orthopaedics.

Dr. Saterbak’s thorough explanation of a minimally invasive technique provided all the encouragement Anita needed. “Dr. Saterbak was very patient and answered all of my questions,” she explained. “I was very impressed with her.”

Anita decided to undergo knee-replacement surgery in December with hopes of having the second knee replaced in four or five months. By the time Anita went in for her surgery, she was “so ready to have the surgery done.”

Anita recalls the whole experience as a good one and she said she felt exceptionally well taken care of. Following the surgery, she couldn’t believe how wonderful it was to stand on her now-straight leg. That feeling surpassed her expectations.

Anita was able to stay with her daughter and have help during her recovery process. She healed very quickly and was delighted with the results. At her two-month appointment with Dr. Saterbak, Anita expressed eagerness to have the second knee replaced as soon as possible. Dr. Saterbak was “so positive and encouraging,” Anita recalls.

They scheduled her second knee replacement for April but that time couldn’t come soon enough for Anita. Her second knee replacement was just as successful as the first and at the two-month appointment following her second surgery, Anita was so excited to stand straight and tall in front of the x-ray machine. No more crooked knees to hobble around on for her! Anita described her two knee-replacement surgeries as “miracles performed for me.”

Today, Anita is living life with a renewed appreciation for the simple things in life: walking up and down stairs, no more chronic pain and easily tolerating the cold Minnesota winters.

She said she used to love to cook but gave it up when the pain became too great to stand in the kitchen. “My new knees have given me back a life I had forgotten about,” she said. “I didn’t realize until I had my new knees how much I had really given up.” Anita is once again enjoying cooking – and her friends say they can’t believe the difference it has made in her appearance and her outlook. Anita is able to stand up straight again.

Anita is busy making new memories instead of just wishing she could. She had given up traveling; but now, with her new knees, she’ll be able to visit her son in Colorado. And after years of not being able to walk on the beach at Madeline Island, Anita is able to once again enjoy her morning stroll.

Physician Assistant Ron S. had worked with orthopedic patients for more than 30 years. In February 2007, Ron became the orthopedic patient — undergoing a total knee replacement. He says the experience changed his personal and professional life.

Ron’s journey to his new JOURNEY knee began 30 years ago, when he fell off a ladder and injured his right knee. Over the years, his knee got progressively worse. Finally, his degenerative arthritis became so bad it was interfering with his sleep, and he couldn’t walk more than a few feet without extreme pain. His knee pain was preventing him from doing the things he loved to do; and work was extremely difficult, as he was required to stand for long periods of time during surgeries.

Because Ron has such an in-depth knowledge of orthopedics, he limped around for about a year as he waited for a new prosthetic to hit the market. He had researched prosthetic knees and had his eye on a new prosthetic, JOURNEY, by Smith and Nephew. The design of the JOURNEY prosthetic is geared toward younger patients who want to lead an active life. At age 55, Ron was concerned he would probably need a second knee replacement during his lifetime (because, eventually, artificial knees do wear out). Based on research, SCO surgeon Dr. Timothy Panek said he hoped the unique metal that makes up Ron’s JOURNEY prosthetic knee could last 20 years or more, double the life expectancy of other artificial knees. There are also other advantages, too. “This knee looks and acts more like a human knee – and so it acts more like a knee for the patient,” said Panek.

Ron volunteered to be the first patient at Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury to receive a JOURNEY knee. As he prepared for his total knee replacement, he was interviewed by WCCO and Smith and Nephew (who also filmed his surgery).

After surgery, that same night, Ron was already up walking around. He was able to flex his knee 120 degrees post operation; but, most importantly, the deep burning pain of his arthritic knee was gone. Ron went home the next morning, determined to complete his physical therapy on his own and get back the life he wanted to live. Two weeks after surgery, Ron went to Mexico for a work-related seminar. While he was in Mexico, he continued his therapy in the pool and enjoyed being able to walk without pain.

Ron credits Dr. Panek for his successful knee replacement. “He is an excellent surgeon who pays attention to the details,” he said.

Ron is very pleased with his new knee and is already busy putting it to the test. He loves waterskiing, deer hunting, biking and walking. Last summer, he went camping with his family and couldn’t go hiking with them. This year, Ron says, he’ll be leading them up the hiking trails out in front with the grandkids.

Blowing out your ACL is no laughing matter for anyone – athlete or not. When you and your twin sister are rising high-school soccer stars, a torn ACL can be a devastating injury. But two torn ACLs is doubly devastating!

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened to Danielle and Diana. Danielle was the first to injure her knee playing soccer. After her recovery from knee surgery (performed by Dr. Andrea Saterbak), she was cleared to play again. A mere six weeks later, her twin sister Diana suffered a similar knee injury – which also required surgery.

Having been a competitive athlete herself, Dr. Saterbak understood the girls’ competitive drive and was able to get them back on their feet within days after their surgery – and off crutches in a matter of weeks.

Danielle and Diana found this to be unique among the orthopedic surgeons they consulted after their injuries. “Dr. Saterbak is a great doctor because she truly cares about her patients,” Danielle said, adding with a vibrant smile, “A lot of doctors provide good care, but she even took time out of her personal life to watch us play soccer.”

The staff at St. Croix Orthopaedics was instrumental in getting these athletes back to the soccer pitch. “The SCO staff was very positive and cheerful,” Diana explained. “They joked around with us and made us feel comfortable.” Both sisters’ knees have been problem-free ever since – and the girls are back playing their sport.

The twins recently finished their final soccer season at Mahtomedi High School. The team was ranked 10th in the nation and are Minnesota State Champions. Danielle was named All-State and All-Conference goalie and Diana was a member of a summer club team that also earned state-champion honors.

There is apparently no rest for the twin high-school seniors, as they’ve both been recruited by Division I colleges to play soccer. They are currently training for their upcoming season at the College of St. Catherine’s in St. Paul, Minnesota. There, the twins will not only be teammates, but study partners as well. Both plan to become physical therapists.

Dr. Saterbak fondly recalled her experience treating Diana and Danielle. “They are exceptional individuals,” she said with admiration. “Sports participation allowed them to gain confidence in themselves. Their knee injuries presented a setback for them, but it ultimately challenged them physically and mentally to return and become better athletes and individuals.”