Patient Testimonials

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.

I’m an avid golfer, and played for over a year in pain. Dr. Norberg suggested reverse shoulder surgery, which was new to me and a concern for my future golf participation. Dr. Norberg and his staff had several communications with me answering all questions and were quite assuring of the procedure. I was told my recovery would be 4-6 months. The surgery went great and my pain of recovery was minimal. With Dr. Norberg’s rehab guidelines and physical therapy, my strength and flexibility increased incredibly well. Everything from start to finish was outstanding. I started hitting chip shots after 3 months and played a round of golf 4 and a half months later pain free. The procedure went so well, I rarely think of my operation. I’d have no reservations to see Dr. Norberg for my other shoulder in the future. Thank you.

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!

Dr. Steven Meisterling is an expert at hip replacements. He is intelligent, professional, kind, patient and a fantastic surgeon! He performed a total hip replacement 8 months ago and I am thrilled with the outcome. He and his dedicated team provided me with excellent care. I definitely give him my highest recommendation. I will return to him if I ever need the other hip done.

Dr. Wanderman has an amazing bedside manner, an easy going approach, and is very good at explaining exactly what she is doing step by step. Highly recommend her!

I want to extend a thank you to Dr. Ryan and her care team. I really appreciated that she took the time to understand my problem, her eagerness to help, and her overall demeanor. Truthfully, it was one of the best in-clinic experiences I have ever had!

Dr. Bircher is the best! I’d been fighting a knee replacement for years. When I met him in November, I knew my knee was pretty bad. We talked about knee replacement but he could tell I wasn’t ready. He told me I would know when I was ready. That reality hit me in February of this year. I couldn’t have asked for better results after the surgery. I was accepted into the TCO EXCEL Program, which I strongly suggest you try if you are able to. The nursing staff was exceptional at the hospital right after surgery as were the nurses at the Recovery Suites. The EXCEL nurse coordinator kept in contact with me to make sure all was well. Everyone involved was great.

Before I had my surgery, I told Dr. Bircher all I wanted was to be able to come back and tell him that I wish I had done the surgery sooner. I was happy to oblige! I am now scheduled for a total knee replacement on my other knee. I know not all surgeries have the same results but I am counting on Dr. Birchers skill to pull it out! Dr. Bircher always made sure he answered all my questions and spent as much time with me as I needed to feel comfortable. He is concerned, compassionate and very skilled. That is not something you find in too many doctors/surgeons these days. I look forward to a normal life again!