Patient Testimonials

I have had lower back pain for years. I learned to live with my pain, using treatments that helped me cope. I have had several epidurals which gave me some relief from the pain, along with a variety of medications. In 2021, my back pain was the worst it has ever been. I love to garden, but found myself avoiding tasks I enjoyed to prevent flare-ups. Simple tasks like cutting the grass would be followed by two or three days of intense pain. I was miserable.

I made an appointment with Dr. Wanderman last fall. When I met him, he said that he was going to fix my back problems with surgery. Last April, my urologist informed me that the prostate cancer I had managed to fight off in 2018 had returned. Dr. Wanderman assured me that after the surgery I would live out my remaining years pain-free. I had my surgery in November 2021. It’s only been a couple months and I am happy to share that I no longer feel that miserable back pain which limited my life activities for so long. I am still on the road to recovery, but I am looking forward to getting back into my garden and yard this spring – pain free.

I loved my experience with Dr. Adam Bakker and team at TCO. I went into surgery having mixed feelings. With limited mobility due a wedding dance injury, I didn’t want that to define activities such as golf or skiing moving forward. The post-surgery recovery outcome was a little over 5 weeks and has been amazing!!! My mobility has increased two fold and my chicken wing arm has disappeared. I’m finally back to a “normal” life and this would not be the case without Dr. Bakker and his amazing skillset. The TCO team has been instrumental in providing great care pre and post-op. Laura B., in the Phys therapy department, has been helpful with range of motion exercises, flexibility, and minimization of scar tissue. It’s been a fantastic experience. Thank you TCO!

I have to say, I was skeptical about coming into TCO urgent care because I have lost faith and trust in medical facilities. I spent 8 weeks at home doctoring my injury because of this lack of trust. However, I finally decided to give TCO a try. I would like to praise TCO Burnsville Orthopedic Urgent Care for every aspect of service I received. It started with May at the front desk, who kindly helped me with my check in, to Ben who saw me to inspect the “damage”. Then to the easy going x-ray tech who made everything comfortable and to Dr. Olmsted, who assured me that I could get my old self back, and to kind Kathy in the hand therapy department. I thank each and every one of you who never judged my injury and subsequent home doctoring. Everyone was kind, positive, and reassuring. I am now on my way to healing properly. Thank you all for a wonderful experience.

In December 2021, Dr. Hoel performed major back surgery to relieve severe stenosis and to fuse L3 L4. The pain I was experiencing before the surgery was very substantial, not only in my lower back, but also down the front and back of both legs. I had difficulty doing anything and everything and was pretty much confined to my favorite chair. After surgery it was like a miracle. Over a period of about 2 weeks, all of my back and leg pain were gone. I could walk, sleep and do virtually any task pain free! Dr. Hoel accomplished everything he set out to do and more. And he did this in a very caring way, always taking the time to explain and answer my questions . I couldn’t be more satisfied than I am with my entire experience with Dr. Hoel and would very highly recommend him to anyone needing spinal care.

Dr. Arntson is very knowledgeable and he explained my hip condition to me in detail so I understood. He answered my questions thoroughly. The procedure went very well. The team helped me through my overnight stay and were extremely professional. I was never in pain and all of the at-home instructions were easy to follow. My experience has been very positive and I had excellent care. Thank you!

I have wanted to write a testimonial since it has been over a year since my surgery. We had to start off with a Zoom meeting due to the pandemic shutdown. I met with Dr. Gulli and he first thought I might have arthritis because I was able to lift my arm relatively well. However, the MRI showed I had a substantial tear. I was told by several nurses how Dr. Gulli spent a good amount of time in surgery. Within two months, I was able to flap my arms over my head. I am free of the pain that would wake me up in the middle of the night. He did an amazing job and the physical therapists were delighted at my progress in my follow-up appointments. I only had one month of physical therapy. I highly recommend Dr. Gulli!

Communication with my healthcare providers is key. With that said, I did initiate conversation with my surgeon, Dr. Dieterle, who is a wonderful listener and highly skilled doctor specializing in shoulder issues. I had trust in him as I learned about his history of performing successful rotator cuff procedures. He did not hurry me in asking my questions, nor dismiss me in any way of my concerns. Secondly, the anesthesiologist called me as I requested, I had airway issues in past surgeries, so I could discuss concerns for any potential breathing problems. He was so considerate and thanked me for the heads up. From time I walked into Lakeview Hospital, I was greeted courteously and respectfully. The nurse’s assistants and other providers made my experience well tolerated and the careful manner in which my extremity was handled allowed me to feel very little pain and recover with significantly less pain than anticipated. Thank you, I would utilize this same system of providers if needed!

My 17-year old son dislocated and tore his shoulder. With my son’s input, Dr. Hess discussed various options and came to the decision to perform surgery on his shoulder. Dr. Hess is a very personable and professional doctor and surgeon. It wasn’t a black and white situation and he didn’t treat it that way. He wanted to know my son’s thoughts and what his end goals were in all of this. He was thorough and let my son know the risks, setbacks, future outlook, etc. prior to any final decisions being made.

My son’s surgery went great. Dr. Hess was very open and communicative and came out to speak with us not long after surgery was done. I appreciate his ability to work with youth and to speak in a manner where those with less knowledge on medical terminology, can understand well. Though I hope he won’t ever have to do surgery on my kids in the future (for obvious reasons), I wouldn’t even hesitate to seek him out should it ever be needed.

My husband was “laid out flat” while wrestling his younger brother and I heard a pop. His knee was sore, but he didn’t have any true pain, and so he ignored it for the time being. Weeks later while trying to get into his truck, his knee buckled, taking him to the ground. At that point he knew it wasn’t something he could ignore anymore.

Insert Dr. Hess. Dr. Hess was professional, relatable, understanding and open-minded. He gave many options beyond surgery and explained exactly what was going on with my husband’s knee. His ACL tore completely off the bone but stayed completely intact. This would be a more unique surgery and one was one that was done less often.

Dr. Hess did an outstanding job and 2 years later, my husband feels great. He was given very clear and reasonable expectations regarding rehab and how his knee would come out of the surgery. My husband feels that those expectations were met and exceeded. It’s easy to say that, should a doctor or surgeon be needed in our family, we will look to Dr. Ryan Hess first. Thank you for being not only an amazing surgeon, but an overall kind and compassionate human being. It did not go unnoticed.

In May is 2021 I was visiting my daughter in upper NY state. On what was supposed to be the last day of my visit, I tripped on uneven sidewalk in Kingston, NY. I was taken by ambulance to the Kingston Hospital for observation and X-rays. Two days later I flew back to Minneapolis in great pain! I fractured my right humerus. Dr. Norberg saw me early the next morning. We began the long and careful process of healing without surgery. Dr Norberg, his staff and the physical therapists at TCO, have given me the best of professional care, for which I am eternally grateful!