Patient Testimonials

I have nothing but fantastic things to say about Dr. Scott Anseth, his team and the EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program. At age 58, I had a total knee replacement on October 1. Within 2 weeks, I was well on my way to recovery with physical therapy sessions in person and at home. Within 6 weeks, I was doing some Peloton classes at home and within 8 weeks, taking my dog for hourlong walks.

The EXCEL Surgery & Recovery Program was first class, and made it very easy to ask questions and get help as needed. My physical therapist (Aubrey) was awesome, and kept me motivated and improving. At 3 months, I’m itching to hit a few tennis balls and am taking longer walks incorporating hills. This has been a very positive experience for me and I would highly recommend Dr. Anseth and the EXCEL program at TCO.

I’ve lived 12 frustrating years of pain, arthritis and bone spurs in my right knee. A co-worker of mine told me to make an appointment with Dr. Jeffrey Mair. I was able to schedule an appointment quickly within 3 weeks. As soon as my husband and I met Dr. Mair, we felt very comfortable and had a connection with him and decided on the spot that he was the surgeon for me. After we set the date, everything flowed smoothly and fell into place. The PT and instructions that I was given helped me to get ready for the surgery and recovery. I met with Cody, Dr. Mair’s PA and he took the time on on more than one occasion to talk to us and answer questions honestly, so there were no surprises for my recovery.

Everyone on Dr. Mair’s team was incredible, Stacy with assisting with appointments and questions, Lindsay with out of work letters, and Donica always there forwarding my questions and concerns onto the team, and then getting a response in less than 24 hours!!! The pain management schedule was simple to follow and I never was in severe pain. I always had support from Dr. Mair and Cody reminding me that this is a tough surgery and to give myself time to recover. They were right, it’s been 6 months and I ride my bike everyday, something I haven’t been able to do for 20 years. I can walk without being in pain, my limp is gone and I can stand for more than 5 minutes. I am so glad that I had the procedure done. I am success story because of Dr. Mair and his medical team of very knowledgeable and caring people. I highly recommend Dr. Mair to everyone that asks me where I had my procedure done.

I cannot say enough about how pleased and deeply grateful I am for Dr. Eggert’s expertise and care. I highly recommend him to anyone needing a knee replacement or knee surgery. From the first day I limped into his office experiencing intense pain and severely decreased mobility due to bone on bone knee joint pain, he provided clear and compassionate care. He listens and I felt seen and validated when explaining my situation. When it was time for surgery he recommended the EXCEL program for me. The pre-op and post-op education and support from the care coordinators help smooth the process.

I had my surgery one year ago and just completed the year check. Wow! I cannot be any happier with the outcome. Dr. Eggert knows what he’s doing! Having that chronic deep pain gone is a game changer. Truthfully, the surgery and post-op recovery is intense. My only focus for 6 weeks post-op was recovery and PT. Do the PT people! It creates a successful outcome.

I love to walk and hike. Within 6 months I was back to walking the trails in our area, walking to and from my workplace every day during the summer. A visit to the North Shore this past summer was enjoyable again as I could walk trails and mosey around Grand Marais. A little under one year from my surgery date I was walking on the beach in California and visiting museums. I would not be doing any of this if not for this successful surgery, Dr. Eggert, and the TCO team! Thank you for giving me my quality of life back. Keep doing what you do!

I had a great experience with my total knee replacement, done by Dr. Edward Szalapski and his team. It was the best experience by far when it comes to having a surgery. From day one of meeting Dr. Szalapski and staff, to scheduling the surgery, recovery, and therapy, it was all amazing. If you follow what you are told to do and not what you think you should do, you will have an excellent recovery like I did (and its only been eight weeks). I already have my next appointment set up for my other knee replacement. Thank you again for the great job.

I have been seeing Dr. Jeffrey Mair at TCO for my orthopedic concerns for quite a few years based on a friend referral. I made the right choice in having Dr. Mair as my orthopedic surgeon. It was time to have my right knee replaced. Dr. Mair completed the surgery in the spring of 2024 and I have had great results. My surgery was completed at the Two Twelve Surgery Center in Chaska through TCO and I went through their EXCEL Program. The care I received from Dr. Mair, his staff, and everyone in the EXCEL Program was great. My scar is nearly unnoticeable and I’m more than happy with my new knee. I will be having my other knee replaced by Dr. Mair and I will again be going through their EXCEL Program. I have recommended Dr. Mair and TCO to others and will continue to recommend them. I am confident my next surgery will go as great as my first one.

I am extremely grateful to Dr. Jeffrey Mair for my total knee replacement February of 2024. I can honestly say that my whole life has changed for the better! I was in constant pain and avoided standing or walking as much as I could because of how painful and difficult it was for me. After 8 months, I was able to take a European River Cruise, which included 14,000 to 17,000 steps daily on cobblestone!! I had no pain whatsoever. I am grateful every time I get up without having to think about pain, and I am grateful every time I get into my car and can just bring my legs in without pain and tears. Thank you!!

Dr. Andrew Schmiesing was my orthopedic surgeon for my total knee replacement. As it turned out, I was anything but a typical patient. I had trouble managing my pain because I struggle with opioids. Dr. Schmiesing called me every day until we could find the right combination of drugs. He went above and beyond the call of duty. He offered great advice and had a great bedside manner to ease my anxiety. His care team of Skyler and Sydney were also great. I always had such a quick response. No one wants a second TKR, but if needed, I would not hesitate to have Dr. Schmiesing preform that surgery. Thank you, TCO. You made such a difference in my total care and healing.

Thanks to Dr. Erik Peterson and his team, I am back to playing soccer and kickball with my grandchildren, maintaining our large and hilly yard full of plants and flowers, actively traveling both domestically and internationally, and walking and biking daily. I decided why wait? I am glad I got it done and have my active life back. The grandkids grow fast, and I want to keep up with them. I received great care from start to finish!

From the first time I met Dr. Bircher and PA Kari I had trust in their expertise, their recommendations, and pre-surgical instructions. In addition, their bedside manner, both before and after surgery was superb, kind, attentive, and informative. This was such pleasant surprise since I’ve had the opposite previously. They told me exactly what I’d be going through post-surgery including a timeline for healing. The communication with Dr. Bircher, Kari, Cassie, and Stephanie was beyond excellent. They returned my calls, emails, and texts either within minutes, within the day, or by the next day. They also responded in the evenings and even on weekends. That surprised me and made me feel important. The physical therapy team of Michelle and Lisa demonstrated their knowledge and well proven techniques. Their bedside manner was also superb. Their patience and encouragement were exactly what I needed. Since the conclusion of my clinical PT I’ve continued to follow the exercise program they laid out for me. I attribute the level of my mobility to them. At this writing, I am three months post-surgery. My knee is doing well, and I am happy with the results. I am looking forward to further healing. I have an appointment with Dr. Bircher/Kari in one week and I’m curious to see what their reaction will be to my progress.  Finally, and it’s obvious by my comments cited above, I completely and totally recommend this fantastic team. In fact, a year from now I’m planning on having my other knee replaced. I have been in their expert hands, and I know I will be in the future.

I continually made excuses on why it wouldn’t make sense to have the robotic-assisted knee replacement done until I could retire. My quality of life had gotten worse to the point where I was having trouble with simple day to day activities. My family were constantly asking me to go get my knee fixed. They could tell I was in a lot of pain most of the time. I was struggling to sleep; I had no end in sight. Finally, I decided to go to TCO to have Dr. Bircher look at it. He recommended to have surgery because he felt he could help me have a better quality of life. He suggested the EXCEL Program, he felt it was a good fit for me because of my age 56. He was very honest, and said it wasn’t going to be easy, but if I worked hard and followed the plan, I should have good results. The day of the surgery I was extremely nervous, I started to doubt my decision to do it. Then walked in Dr. Bircher, smile on his face as usual. He went through everything that was going to happen, and what to expect going forward. Then to my surprise he asked if he could pray with me. The nervousness went away, I knew I was in good hands. When I awoke, I felt good. They brought me to my room at the Plymouth Orthopedic Surgery Center. This is where my recovery began, and Dr. Bircher checked on me a few times while I was there. He said if I need anything to let him know. The pain I had post-surgery was nothing compared to what I had been dealing with for years. I worked hard and followed the plan set for me, everyday seemed to get better and better. Now, here I am 4 months after surgery and I got my life back. I wish I would have had surgery years ago; I will never put anything like this off again. A huge Thank You goes out to Dr. Bircher and his incredible team at TCO.