Patient Testimonials

I’m a 17 year old alpine ski racer. I live for the speed and adrenaline rush of the sport. I’m always looking for ways to push myself on and off the slopes. As many ski racers know, with the speed comes great risk and possibility of injury. Skiing is all I have ever known and ever since my very first race practice I have never wanted to get off the slopes. I’ve never been afraid of the speed; in fact, I seek it out.

I’ve never had any injuries that really scared me. Growing up, it seemed like injuries happened. They’d heal and you would move on and forget about them soon after. Injuries didn’t phase me. Like when I broke my wrist, it was as simple as getting a waterproof cast so I could continue competing in triathlons.

I started to really ramp up my skiing at the end of the 2016-17 season and gained a considerable amount of momentum with my results. I received multiple scholarships that gave me opportunities to pursue my goals and take my skiing to the next level. I was racing Super G and Downhill at the Rocky Central Junior Championships in Vail where I was skiing 70 mph and over jumps, eventually finding out I was skiing with a broken wrist. I was at a point in my ski career where everything had been going right. I had tremendous opportunities and a lot of support which was a necessity to stay in this expensive sport.

In the fall of 2017, I attended a training camp at Vail Mountain on a scholarship. Toward the end of the camp, I fell training GS and broke my thumb and sustained a concussion. When I got back to Minnesota, I found out that I was going to need surgery to fix my thumb, which was done by Dr. McCarthy. It was my first surgery and the first injury that really phased me. I was forced to take a month off of skiing, which for me was a very difficult thought to come to terms with.

A month later, despite still having pins sticking out of my hand and the bulkiest cast I’ve ever seen, I was back on the slopes. I had to take it super easy but still enjoyed every second of it. My second day back skiing was the day after Christmas. It was at an alumni race for my high school ski team. I decided to forerun the course. The first run felt amazing, I couldn’t have been happier to be back skiing. I felt invincible as I stood in the starting gate, with no fear. I thought, if a broken thumb couldn’t stop me nothing would,’ and pushed out of the start gate another time. The next thing I knew I had crashed and was sliding down the hill on my side and tried to stand up as I was still sliding. My knee popped as I tried to come to a stop and my stomach instantly dropped. I got up but fell again as my knee must have given out. The second I started to fall I bounced back up and skied the rest of the way down on one ski. I smiled at the parents and coaches in the finish and pushed myself over to the chalet as if nothing happened.

It was a struggle getting out of my skis but I managed to get a friend, who wasn’t aware of what happened, to help me out. I used my poles to hobble to the comp center but fell to the ground when my knee gave out again. I hopped up the stairs on one leg and sat down. I was terrified. My friend began to suspect something was wrong – but I froze and refused to admit I had hurt my knee. I sat for what felt like hours bending my knee and convincing myself I was overreacting – and thinking the pop I heard I must have made up in my head. I decided I was perfectly fine to go back out to ski. I stood up and took about a step and a half before my knee gave out and I fell to the floor. I tried standing a couple more times that night and every time my knee would give out with even the very slightest pressure.

It was difficult calling my parents and admitting that I was hurt. I remember walking in my front door late that night and seeing my mom’s face which made everything start to sink in. The next morning I was being wheeled into TCO. It eased my mind talking to doctors and was headed off for an MRI then home on crutches. A day or two later I heard my mom’s phone ring. I was upstairs and could only make out a little bit of the conversation. After trying to figure out what my mom and the doctor were talking about my dad came to the bottom of the stairs and told me that I had a complete tear of my ACL. I was in total disbelief. The impact this would have on the next year of my life did not set in right away. After talking on the phone with the doctors I realized this was not an injury where I could just sit back and wait until it was healed. I could no longer focus my energy on skiing and had to try my best to redirect it all to physical therapy. I began setting rehab goals where I typically wrote my skiing goals.

The transition from being very active and not letting injuries stop me was taken out of my control. This injury had a lot of power over me which was tough to come to terms with. I felt really lost right after the injury and unsure of what the future would hold. This is where my TCO champion comes in, Brandon Schomberg; my physical therapist. He was very reassuring right from the start. It was very clear to me he knew exactly what to do and I could trust him and would not be alone on the journey. Brandon guided me to take back control over this injury and regain the power to decide the outcome. On January 12th, 2018 I had surgery, done by Dr. Christopher Larson. By then I was just happy to get started on my recovery and get back to what I love. From the second I woke up, I was anxious to start rehab and start my journey getting back in the start gate.

I quickly realized how difficult the next year would be, and whether or not I wanted to admit how injured I was. Brandon broke everything down into manageable steps and celebrated every little accomplishment along the way. His positive attitude and reassurance motivated me in a way no one else could have done. Soon, I began gaining momentum with rehab and enjoyed going and continuing setting goals. Brandon made the whole recovery fun and interesting and taught me a lot. I learned a lot about myself throughout the process and that I was capable of so much more than I had thought. Physical therapy became a place of discovery, not just where I did my exercises. Brandon encouraged me to be my best in every aspect of my life, from school to sports, to in the community. He also made sure I was having fun especially through the difficult times throughout my recovery. I came to know the Eden Prairie location very well, I felt welcomed at every appointment. I went into my first appointment for my knee expecting it to be a long and lonely process to get back skiing. I never expected to be embraced by so many people who were so invested in my recovery and wellness – they all felt like family.

After 10 months of lots of hard work and dreaming of skiing, I was finally able to get back to what I love. It was nerve-racking knowing the day I had been waiting for had finally come. I was scared to know what it would feel like being back on snow, especially considering it may never feel the same as it did before the injury. I had total confidence in my knee being strong but there was still so much unknown. Having a team of specialists surrounding me, who told me I was ready, allowed me to have confidence in myself in an area where I didn’t know what to expect. The ACE program and testing at the Training HAUS were critical to tracking my progress and determining when I was ready to return to skiing. I was always guided through the challenging and scary parts of my recovery by people I fully trusted, so I knew if they said I was ready, I was ready. Their confidence gave me confidence and empowered me to believe in myself. By the time I was on the chairlift, I had no worries, just excitement. By my second run, I felt like I was just where I left off the previous year and stronger than ever. Everything came back so naturally, it was the most rewarding feeling ever. Every time I got to go skiing after that felt like a gift I was incredibly grateful for. Even when I wasn’t able to get back in the race course I was overjoyed.

Every aspect of getting back to skiing went better than I could have ever imagined. My knee felt strong and as if nothing ever happened. My confidence freeskiing carried into the race course as well. Just 4 days shy of the one year anniversary of my surgery I got back into the starting gate for my first race back. Not only did I have full confidence in my knee but I won the race, exceeding my highest expectations. Every week on snow I accomplished things I had no idea if I’d ever get back to. The season just kept getting better. Throughout my whole recovery, there were two races I had my eyes on – sections and state. Not only was I looking forward to being there myself, but I was looking forward to being there with my team. One of the most challenging parts of the year off was not being on the hill with my team. Sections and State served as a time to celebrate and look back on my season with my teammate and enjoy how far I had come. I came in 2nd place and our team won the Section title, qualifying for State. At State, I came in 11th place and my team came in 3rd. It was the most amazing feeling to stand in the start gate at State without even thinking about my knee. It was so rewarding to have a result at State that represented all the work I had put into the past year and all the support from Dr. Larson, Brandon and the whole TCO team that made it possible.

In 2015, my sophomore year of college, I was the starting goalkeeper for the Gustavus women’s soccer program when I took a knee to my hip in the beginning of the second half. I had sustained a hip pointer injury, but continued to play the following 35 minutes and overtime, in addition another 35 minutes of double overtime. After that, I played another full game and double overtime to end the season.

I took 2 weeks off from working out and felt able to workout again, however I battled hip pain off and on for another 8 months before seeing another doctor. After getting an MRI, it was confirmed that I had a left femoral acetabular impingement and a complex labral tear. I was referred to Dr. Larson, who assured me that all of my symptoms; pain in my joint, clicking, pinching, clenching and a shooting pain from my hips, down my leg, and up my abdomen was normal for the injury. We talked about alternative treatments but had decided surgery was my only option.

In August of 2016, I went into the OR and had a FAI decompression and labral repair and debreidment. In the same month I began physical therapy. I sat out my junior year of soccer at Gustavus but supported my teammates as they won the conference and went to the national tournament. I got strong enough and was cleared to return to play my senior year, but my heart was no longer in it and, although I completed the season, I did not have joy for the sport and I still had fear of taking a hard hit. I did not feel I had a proper comeback and I did not feel I overcame my surgery. I decided after graduation, passing my Nursing boards, and training in at the Mayo Clinic, that running a marathon would be my comeback. And that’s when I began training.

I had my 3 year check in with Dr. Larson at the new Vikings clinic just months before I was scheduled for my race. He assured me that my scans and physical assessment looked great and that running is a better choice for me. We talked about how the side to side motion and constant position changes was not good for my hip, and that a continuous forward motion like running would be better for my hip and my lifestyle.

I then ran the San Francisco half marathon in under 2 hours, continued my training, and ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 4 hours and 15 minutes without any hip pain. I plan on running many more marathons and half marathons in my future. I am signed up for a half marathon this August on the 4 year anniversary of my surgery. Celebrating 4 years without hip pain thanks to Dr. Larson, his amazing team, and his perfected recovery/rehab program.

I am writing this short story about my suffering with different kinds of pain in my hand and wrist and my unbelievable recovery process. For many years I have had pain in my wrist for the type of work I performed with the use of my hands. Back in February of 2015, I discussed this problem with my personal physician and he had me do different exercises and wear a hand brace. The pain was not going away so I made an appointment in December to see Dr. Clare McCarthy at Twin Cities Orthopedics. From that day forward we came up with a plan of action to regulate the treatment of the pain in my hand and wrist.

After taking an X-ray of both of my wrists and showing me the problem areas that were causing some of the pain, we decided the first step is to perform Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel on both wrists. My left wrist surgery was scheduled for January 15, 2016 and the right one on February 5, 2016. Both surgeries and recoveries were a success There is no numbness, stiffness, and pain in my fingers. I have full control on my motion and straight in both wrists. The second step to recovery was to get control over the arthritic pain on the lower part of my thumbs. This was caused from repetitive use of my hand in the type of work I performed in the past. Pain typically occured during/after gripping and pinching activities; such as turning doorknobs, buttoning clothes, tying shoes, loosening a jar lid and so on. After going through different medication, hand splints, and cortisone injections, my thumbs got worse. The treatments were no longer working or providing me with relief.

Dr. Clare McCarthy, her PA Claire Joubert, and I discussed the next solution. We all agreed on Thumb CMC (carpal-metacarpal) Joint Osteoarthritis and CMC Excisional Arthroplasty with Fascia Lata Graf, which means removing the arthritic bone (trapezium) and replacing it with a soft tissue graft. On February 27, 2019, Dr. Clare McCarthy and her PA, Claire Joubert, performed the above surgery to my right hand. Clair Joubert, PA did the closing, which was absolutely perfect. After surgery, the ecovery was long. I was in a cast for 4 weeks to prevent me from pinching. After getting the cast removed I started thumb and wrist exercises to strengthen hand. My PT for 3 weeks was Kimberly McClintick and she was great. My theory behind getting my strength back was no pain, no gain. I have been doing very well without any pain and will be playing my first game of golf since the surgery on May 4th!!

In closing here are a couple of statements that my father told me: No matter who you are, no matter where you come from you are beautiful. I believe there’s an inner power that makes winners. The winners are the ones who really listen to the truth of their hearts. This is what I think of the people that helped me through this ordeal. Thank you all!

After research, I made an appointment with Dr. Owen O’Neill for a consult regarding a knee replacement. After my first visit, I knew he was the one I wanted to perform the surgery. He took the time to go over and explain the x-rays; he used the model of the knee to explain the procedure and even though he had a long waiting list, we scheduled the surgery and I am glad I did. The whole process through TCO was excellent. From the staff at the Crosstown Surgery Center in Edina, to the follow up care at Aurora, to Dr. O’Neill’s care coordinator, Ann. They made sure I was aware of everything before and after my surgery and were there to answer any questions I had about the process and my recovery. I highly recommend Dr. Owen O’Neill and will use him again for any future orthopedic needs.

My right hip replacement performed by Dr. Mair was perfect. Everybody was great at Two Twelve Surgery Center. My pain was minimal due to how they managed it with their schedule. I was walking the evening of my surgery. I followed my directions from physical therapists and doctors, it’s like my hip was never replaced. Highly suggest both Dr. Mair and the TCO EXCEL Program.

January of 2014 I had my left hip replaced by Dr. Comfort. April of 2018 I had my right hip done, again by Dr. Comfort. My recent surgery included participation in the EXCEL Program and was carried out at the High Point Surgery Center. Both procedures and my experiences with them, to include the EXCEL Program and High Point Surgery Center, were nothing but positive. I am 6 weeks out of my recent procedure and recovering well, to the extent that I am back to work and suffering only minimal muscle soreness. I would very much like to thank Dr. Comfort, Molly his assistant, and Dave for the great care they gave me through the process. Their care and talents have given me back the ability to enjoy a pain free lifestyle. Overall, I would highly recommend Dr. Comfort and his staff. Thank you Dr. Comfort and Twin Cities Orthopedic for the quality care given.

Hello Mr. Simonson — I just wanted to pass along some positive feedback on my experiences with TCO and the Excel Program.

I had total knee replacement surgery on my left knee in July 2017 and my right knee in November 2017 through the Excel Program and with Dr. Kruse.  I had never had any surgeries until these so I was very nervous about doing it.  But after my first appointment with Dr. Kruse, I was confident I was in good hands and now that it’s all done, I was right!

All of the people I came in contact with from TCO were wonderful.  They always made me feel cared for and treated me like I was their only patient.  Dr. Kruse was so great and made me feel at ease every step of the way.  Everyone at the Minnesota Orthopedic Surgery Center in Fridley as well as the Coon Rapids location where I had all my pre and post appointments and physical therapy were also great.  My recovery time at Bel Rae was very comfortable and the nurses and therapists that worked with me there were amazing as well.

I want to give special mention about the therapists that spent so much time with me, Amy Lindell and Jason Bezdichek.  They are both so skilled at their jobs and were fantastic “coaches” by encouraging me and guiding me through the therapy.  When I would tell them what I was struggling with or pain I was having, they were so caring and tailored the exercises they had me doing and when I followed what they said, it always helped.  I was so lucky to be assigned to them!  I’d appreciate you passing this along to whoever their direct boss is.

Finally and most importantly, since having the surgeries, my quality of life has improved so much.  Being able to simply walk without knee pain has been awesome!  I’ve started using stairs instead of avoiding them and simple household chores have also become so much easier.  And, I’ve already been able to start doing my main hobbies pain free and have enjoyed them so much more (horseback riding and archery).

I’ve already recommended TCO to others and will continue to do so.  Again, a huge thank you to everyone at TCO!

Best regards,

Jan A.

I am very grateful that Dr. Tanner was on-call the night of my auto accident. He saved my foot! Both of the attending ER and Trauma physicians told me that I was very fortunate to have Dr. Tanner doing my emergency surgery and that he was considered the foot and ankle expert at North Memorial. Dr. Tanner and the rest of the medical staff at Twin Cities Ortho are really top notch. I would recommend him and TCO to anyone needing surgery, physical therapy, or looking to reduce pain and increase mobility.

On December 23, 2015, Dr. Kelly did a Tenex procedure on my left elbow. I had immediate relief from pain that day. I had been having constant pain for the past two years in the left elbow and forearm. I had a couple of cortisone injections that would provide relief for a couple of months, but the pain always returned. Today I can say I am 100% pain free. I had gone from pain all the time to being pain free now. The procedure for me was easy, painless and recovery went very well. Dr. Kelly and Lindsay explained the procedure thoroughly and answered all of my questions prior to the procedure. The Crosstown Surgery Center was a wonderful place to have the procedure. Everyone was kind, caring and helpful.

I have received exceptional care from Dr. Diekmann, as well as his staff, especially Troy! I can not say enough about how he made me feel at ease before me ankle surgery as well as during the recuperation period. He is very thorough and caring! My son and my husband have been patients as well! Thank you for the outstanding care!