Patient Testimonials

Dr. Jozef Murar was excellent. He repaired my shoulder injury, and the care was excellent. I would highly recommend him. It’s like a miracle. Katie also was awesome. Excellent care. Thank you.

Dr. William Engasser performed surgery on my right foot and did a great job!
I no longer have pain from arthritis and can go out and walk my dog without pain.
His staff is really great too. They all took good care of me. What a great doctor and staff!

Thank you!

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 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.

Dr. Owen O’Neill performed a total hip replacement. I had a degenerative hip which was causing a great deal of pain. I was more than pleased with my pre-operative care, very informative and accessible. I had my surgery in a surgery center instead of in a hospital which decreased the possibility of infection, which was very comforting for me. Dr. O’Neill and his staff were very approachable and always ready to answer any questions. After having some difficulties, I was able to get an appointment to be seen in one day. In other healthcare situations, this is not an option. Dr. O’Neill’s team was very accommodating. My post-op difficulty turned out to be not a medical problem, but my visit certainly eased my mind,  which I greatly appreciated.

Dr. TJ Ridley is very knowledgeable and great with both kids and adults. He did a great job explaining what to expect and provided instructions that my son (17) could follow. At each appointment, he always allowed time for questions and listened intently. We will plan to see him again for the inevitable next injury!

I asked to go to TCO Eagan for my physical therapy and am blessed that I chose this location. Physical therapists Julia Black and Danielle pushed me just enough to make sure I made great progress, but not too much so I didn’t think they cared. I was off the walker and using only a cane within a week and a half of my total knee replacement. I was not even using my cane around the house within two and a half weeks after surgery. I haven’t used my crutches since August and that was sparingly. I am amazed at the recovery I have had, and it all comes down to Dr. Jozef Murar, his team, and TCO’s amazing physical therapists. If you are thinking about any surgery that has to do with your knee, go to TCO!

In late June, while learning to play pickleball, I experienced a significant tear in my calf muscle. As an active adult looking forward to a summer of hiking and biking, it crushed me. I was told to expect a 3-4 month recovery and physical therapy to get back to enjoying what I like to do.

My physical therapist, Eric Seppelt, was extremely helpful in creating a rehabilitation plan for my lower leg. Every session was carefully thought out, with each visit helping to strengthen my calf. Eric provided me with some very smart and deliberate exercises that made perfect sense. He took extreme care not to push me past what I was ready for, and that was exactly what I needed. I’m now 16 weeks out from my injury and feel like my leg is as strong as it was before. If you’ve experienced a lower leg injury, I highly recommend requesting Eric as your physical therapist.

I’m not sure anything can prepare you for the moment you hear the news that you’ve torn your ACL and severed your meniscus after a blindside in a football game. Everything I planned for my sophomore year was instantly replaced by a completely unplanned journey. I learned this new journey wouldn’t include football, basketball, or track. It would instead include surgery and crutches, relearning to walk and run, and require regaining the strength to lift any kind of weight with my left leg. I knew it was going to be hard, and I knew the only way to do it was to go through it and ultimately get through it.

My TCO team made up of Dr. Charles Eggert, Jessica, Katelyn, Kyle, Jeff, and Natalie got me through surgery, all my post-op check ins, physical therapy, and an extra 7 months of ACE training to help get me ready to compete again. Throughout my recovery we had a goal of getting me “back by football”. In a very unplanned and intense 10 months of reconstruction and recovery work, on the first day of the 2024 season I was cleared to play football without restriction.

I’m thankful for my body’s ability to be repaired and rehabbed in the way it was. It’s been great to be back out on the field with my teammates this season. As I look back on this last year, I’m thankful for my family, my friends, my Belle Plaine community support, and my TCO team that helped me get to this point in my recovery!

I had a great experience with TCO’s Dr. Nathan Wanderman and his team. I set out to take care of my back issues and leg pain, and they did exactly what they explained to me. I am honestly doing much better and feeling comfortable at any sitting or standing position now. l was told my incision was healing great, and l appeared to be showing NO discomfort. I am a happy patient.