Patient Testimonials

Dr. Bircher did revision surgery on May 25, 2023. He replaced a previous total knee replacement. He was thorough in his explanation of the procedure and the inherent risks. The surgery went well and the results border on miraculous. In 6 weeks I was climbing stairs with only minor difficulty and driving. In 8 weeks I was back to work and resuming most normal activities. Thank you Dr. Bircher.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude for Dr. Ridley’s support and knowledge throughout this process. When I tore my ACL, I was devastated and I figured my collegiate hockey career was over. But I can’t thank you and your team enough for turning that around. TCO, and Dr. Ridley was so helpful in getting me back on the ice. Everyone genuinely cared for my recovery and always answered any questions or issues I had. Thank you!

I am grateful that Dr. Jeremiah Johnson was the on-call trauma surgeon when I needed emergency surgery on a weekend. He is bright and compassionate. He is an analytical and innovative problem-solver. He is astute and attentive, nothing falls through the cracks. In addition, he has assembled an amazing support team. My recovery will take time and it’s comforting to know that they are there.

I had a broken collarbone from a mountain biking crash. Dr. Ridley‘s team was able to put me into his schedule quickly, and he surgically repaired my collarbone on very short notice. He put in a plate and 8 screws. I just had my 6-week follow up appointment and I have been healing great. I have full range of motion, no pain and am working to build back the strength in my arm.

Beyond his skills as a surgeon, what sets him apart is his approach to his patients. He was very careful to explain how the bone broke, how he planned to repair it, and then how it actually all came together. He takes the time for his patients to make sure they are comfortable and educated with what he will be doing. I 100% recommend Dr. Ridley to anyone that needs orthopedic treatment.

I ruptured my quadricep tendon a year ago. It tore right off the knee cap and one week later, Dr. Kelly surgically repaired it. With plenty of physical therapy, and one year later, I am back to normal. I am running, playing tennis, paddle boarding etc. It’s wonderful! I am completely 100% satisfied.

A great big thank you to Dr. Christopher Meyer for getting and keeping me back on the Pickleball courts. From my Meniscus repairs on both knees to my rotor cuff pain, I can’t thank you enough. Also thank you to Sommer Vaughan, PA-C who was also there to answer any questions and assist with my shots.

Sending a thank you to Dr. Teynor for handling my dad’s hip surgery 5 years ago. He spent his 91st birthday in the hospital. You looked beyond his age when determining his chance for a successful surgery. We are grateful today as he celebrates 96!

I was greatly impressed with the ankle joint replacement I received from Dr. Mittelsteadt. I had very little pain through the whole procedure and recovery. I was back to doing most of my normal activities in 4 months. My ankle feels great. I was extremely pleased with the way I was treated at TCO, and particularly by Dr. Mittelsteadt.

When I first tore my ACL while Nordic skiing, I was scared I would never run as fast again. The thought of missing my sophomore track season and my junior cross country season scared me, but my perspective changed when I came to TCO.

My family chose TCO because of its good reputation for getting athletes back from injury, and I am super glad we made that decision. Dr. TJ Ridley and my physical therapists, Lee Burtraw, DPT, Beth Kadrlik, DPT, and Kate Cayton, DPT, helped me return to cross country faster than I ever imagined. My PTs gave me different challenging exercises each week which was fun and kept me active throughout my recovery process.

By the end of the cross country season, I was faster than ever due to my newfound strength from PT. I achieved a personal record at the cross country state meet and even qualified for state in Nordic skiing and track for the first time!

Huge shout out to Dr. Ridley for doing such a great job on my surgery and helping me through the recovery process. All the TCO staff I interacted with inspired me to look into being a physical therapist or a sports physician! If anyone has torn their ACL or has any other injury, I highly recommend TCO for a great overall experience.

For hip replacement, Dr. Knowlan exclusively uses the anterior (front) approach, which offers a faster recovery time than the posterior (rear) approach. A layman’s view is that the posterior approach involves cutting of muscle, while the anterior method allows the surgeon to push muscles aside. The anterior method requires more expertise on the part of the surgeon, because the view of the hip joint is more restricted.

My surgery went unbelievably well and I’m 83 years old. I barely had any pain and took just Tylenol for a few days. I went to a wedding 4 days after surgery (using a walker). Shortly after that I switched to a cane, which I ditched about 2-3 weeks after surgery. I was driving 3 weeks post-surgery, even though surgery was for my right hip.

I began pre-op exercises about a month before surgery and have been doing the post-op exercises (it is now 7 weeks since surgery). It is important to do these to strengthen key muscles since it reduces recovery time. Dr. Knowlan says I don’t have any restrictions for movement now and I can golf.

Dr. Knowlan’s team was wonderful. Also, everyone at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater was very caring. Even the food was excellent!