Patient Testimonials

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!

Dr. Hoel worked with me to diagnose and treat a herniated disc in my back. My entire experience with Dr. Hoel was outstanding. The things I appreciated the most was that he acknowledged the pain I was experiencing with sympathy and understanding, and he clearly explained the treatment options available to me as well. Due to being unable to walk or sit without intense pain, I chose the surgery option. Lastly, the surgery was an outstanding success! The pain was gone immediately after surgery. I highly recommend Dr. Hoel, both for the understanding and respect he showed me, as well as for his skill as a surgeon. Thank you Dr. Hoel!

I want to thank Dr. Harris so much for taking care of me and getting me back on my feet. When it looked like it may be days before a spot was open for surgery, it felt like he moved mountains and went above and beyond to make things happen and got me into surgery first thing the next day. That was the care and relief I needed. He has an incredible team working with him that got results. I would like to thank them as well, as I know they also went out of their way to provide me with great care in such a short time. Dr. Harris is an absolute miracle worker, the relief from pain due to the herniated disc was immediate and such a huge relief. He is a GREAT surgeon, great man, and hero to me.

I met with Dr. Deal for pain and numbness in my neck, shoulder and arm. He was so thorough, scheduling a CT scan and EMG nerve test to rule out potential issues and really “see” what was going on. Dr. Deal performed a two-level fusion on my C4-C5 and C5-C6 at the end of June. I had relief from my pain immediately. The recovery was quite quick. I just had my three month follow up and I’m good to go. I am so grateful for Dr. Deal and the whole team at TCO. I would recommend them to everyone.

I would recommend Dr. Deal to any friend or family member. I had an L4-5 microdisectomy and Dr. Deal and his staff were supportive and experts throughout the process and my outcome was very positive!

Dr. Eggers gave me hope that I can get back to my normal life with the treatment that he thinks will fix my issues with my back. He answered my questions and gave me a feeling of positivity that this will work.

Dr. Eggers was wonderful! He listened to me and created a treatment plan that is beneficial in limiting the pain from OA in my cervical spine. He was funny and had such a refreshing bedside manner. I would absolutely recommend Dr. Eggers to anyone who has spine issues.

August 19th marked my 3 month mark after ACDF surgery performed by Dr. Eric Deal. I have been released to perform most duties again, so I played golf! I took it slow but did great. This is 1 year and 3 months after a car accident that caused a disk herniation between my C6-C7. I spent (wasted) 9 months with various treatments and exams. Finally in January 2020 my family doctor finally ordered an MRI that showed the herniation. I was referred to a surgeon who recommended cervical disk replacement. I was unsure of the procedure so started doing research. I came across reviews for Dr. Deal, which were all very positive and many showed the same symptoms as I had. They also mentioned they had the ACDF vs. cervical disk replacement. More research on the two options and I decided a second opinion was needed so I chose Dr. Deal. I got right into the clinic within days. Dr. Deal performed a thorough examination and talked to me at length. He never seemed rushed or pushy to use him or his procedure. He laid out the facts/risks/process and explained it all. I was very impressed and decided to have Dr. Deal perform the surgery. I will tell you over a year after the accident, I was still in great pain. Covid hit right when my surgery was scheduled and had to be postponed several times. By the time I had my surgery in May, the only way I could get through the day was to live on Percocet. I had weekly refills for 4 months from my family doctor to cope with the pain prior to surgery and prayed I would not become addicted. The pain, fatigue, needles, numbness, I had it all. On surgery day, Dr. Deal came by in pre-op just to make sure I had no questions or concerns. I did not as I was prepped well with information. After I woke up from the procedure, I noticed immediate relief. I was in the surgery center a total of 18 hours. I felt like a champ the next morning. I actually walked 4 miles (1 mile at a time) the day after surgery and continued to walk daily. (Dr Deal said that was a bit aggressive :)). I would recommend Dr. Deal to anyone and have full confidence in his abilities. And not to be forgotten, Alyssa his care coordinator is a rock star. I could call her any time and I did, especially when my surgery was postponed 4 or 5 times due to covid. She never failed to answer or return my calls. Top notch customer/patient service.