Patient Testimonials

Dr. Vargas was excellent!

I went to urgent care at TCO Vadnais Heights because I slipped and fell down my stairs. Dr. Vargas was on-site for clinic that day, and he was able to squeeze me into his schedule.

He was direct and kind, and he also communicated the urgency to resolve the physical trauma quickly. He was able to schedule foot and ankle surgery for me in two days with him. I’ve found out subsequent to this that for many people, it can take weeks to get in for surgery!

Although I was nervous at how all of this was unfolding so quickly (Wednesday urgent care, and Friday surgery), it was the best decision I made for my health to get the surgery. He was able to answer my questions, stay connected with me prior to surgery, and was attentive. My healing and recovery are going really well, and it’s been less than one week since my surgery.

If you want someone who “tells it like it is,” gives you solid, fact-based advice, cares for his patients, and is an expert in his field, then Dr. Vargas is your surgeon. I’ll be recommending him to my family and friends, should they need a podiatrist surgeon.

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize my surgeon, Dr. Engasser. I am 59 years old and just received a total ankle replacement from Dr. Engasser at TCO. The care and consideration Dr. Engasser and his staff provided to me has been fantastic, both prior to surgery and after. The ultimate decision to have ankle replacement was thoughtfully laid out by him over the course of a year. Nothing was rushed, all options were considered, and a final agreement on treatment was decided. I am 3 months post-op I am walking under my own power and getting stronger each day. I can say without hesitation that meeting with Dr. Engasser was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I would highly recommend him for anyone with ankle/foot concerns!

Dr. Seybold was awesome, he was very confident and had a well thought out plan to fix my fractured heel. This was just short of a miracle as I was referred to him after my home town surgeon left me without much of a solution. After my accident, they were contemplating the amputation of my foot. Dr. Seybold thought he could help me and get me back to walking. He instilled a high level of confidence in me and he was very successful. I am now walking, biking and golfing which is something I couldn’t do for two years. I can’t say enough positive statements about the level of care he provided me. Thank you, Dr. Seybold, for your skill and for giving me my life back. I highly recommend him and TCO to any and all patients.

I have been a patient of Dr. Meyer for 15 years. In this time he has given me relief from pain with seven successful surgeries (both hips, both knees, shoulder, arm, and a severely fractured ankle and foot). Dr. Meyer and his PA, Sommer Vaughn, have always been very caring, compassionate, and knowledgeable about my care. They listened to me as a patient and plans were made for necessary surgeries. These surgeries have enabled me to continue to enjoy a normal life in my later years. I am now 83 years young, enjoying my husband of 65 years, 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. I would advise anyone choosing orthopedic care to call TCO. It’s a close by facility.

I want to thank Dr. Engasser for being so professional, proficient and kind during my surgery experience. I had so much pain in my foot and with surgery, but now I am able to do everything I want to. I experienced such a smooth and non-problematic journey, from the first visit with Dr. Engasser until the last. My foot is healing so well. I feel very blessed to have had such a good surgeon. Thank you!

Unfortunately our daughter slipped on the ice and took a spill. We went to a local hospital and she was misdiagnosed for about 2 weeks. They gave us a boot and told us everything would be fine. We were lucky enough to talk to a friend who recommended TCO as a second opinion, as we felt a little uneasy about her pain level and progress. Once we did, they recognized right away that it was a tri-fracture and she needed to get emergency attention.

Dr. Engasser took on our daughter as a patient right away and saw her the next day. He was able to reset her foot and start the healing process. 8 months later she has no effects from the tri-facture. We are so thankful for his quick, decisive, and informed actions. He talked with his colleagues, he talked with us, and he made us feel confident about every step of the way. Again, I will never go to another place for my orthopedic needs. Had we stayed the course and didn’t seek out a second opinion at TCO, she would be walking with a limp. Instead she’s playing basketball with her friends right now.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience at TCO. My kids are getting older (10 & 12) and more active. There have been a few times over the past 6 months where they hurt themselves playing sports and we weren’t sure if it needed additional treatment or not. TCO was efficient, affordable and we didn’t have to wait a crazy amount of time to be seen. They were thoroughly examined and we were given peace of mind of an action plan moving forward. TCO has now become our go-to for urgent care active related injuries.

Dr. Seybold is compassionate, professional, intelligent, and extremely capable. You can’t ask for more than that. I highly recommend Dr. Seybold and his staff. I am truly grateful for what they do.

Dr. Mittelsteadt is the greatest. He was the first of many foot doctors that I’ve seen that actually talked to me. He showed me why I was in pain and told me what he could and offers his help. He talks to me and answers any questions I have. When I have my appointments, he shows up and goes over surgery expectations in detail. He explains what I should be doing to keep my foot healthy. He talks TO me and not AT me. The members of his care team have been a wonderful addition to my care as well. I don’t like doctors, so I know when I find a good one!

One morning my son slipped on the ice at work and broke his ankle. I rushed to his work not knowing what to expect but I knew it was bad if he asked them to call me. When I got there he was sitting in a wheelchair with a very unstable foot. I called my husband to let him know that we were on the way to TCO. As soon as I pulled up in front of the building, the medical team were waiting at the door to receive him. They took him straight to get an X-ray and confirmed his ankle was broken. When I saw the X-rays, I knew right away this was a major injury.

Coincidentally, Dr. Engasser was just finishing up a procedure when he was called for a consult. He said this needs to be fixed right away. He asked my son if he had eaten and thankfully he had not. Dr. Engasser gave us an overview of the procedure and said it would take about 45 minutes to repair. He asked us if we wanted him to take my son to surgery now or wait. I was shocked by his response as this was the day before Thanksgiving and he was finished with his case load for the day. My husband and said in unison, “let’s do it today”. Dr. Engasser called pre-op and booked the procedure. Not knowing how long we would be there, I took my girls back home so they didn’t have to wait. I was on my way back and my husband called and said the procedure was DONE.

The surgery went well and his post-op scan was beautiful. Dr. Engasser repaired the ankle with screws that were placed beautifully and with surgical precision. The entire process from the time we entered the facility until the time we left was 4 hours. Nothing in medicine, especially involving surgery takes 4 hours! I’m still in awe because if we were at a hospital, we would still be waiting.

To Dr. Engasser and the entire medical personnel at Twin Cities Orthopedics and the Minnesota Valley Surgery Center, THANK YOU for the outstanding patient care provided to my son! I am thankful and forever grateful!