Patient Testimonials

I went to see Dr. Hoel after two failed attempts of a cortisone spinal injection that was supposed to shrink the cyst in my spine. I was in a lot of pain and had numbness in both legs for about 3 months. Dr. Hoel performed surgery and removed the cyst, and I now am able to walk my dog again and be on my legs for more than 5 minutes. I feel like I have my life back. I received excellent care and he was very attentive to my problem and explained everything so I could understand it.

February 16th, 2020 was a date I’ll never forget. Before this date, I was a very active individual. I went to the gym every day and I was constantly outdoors, exploring new activities. I had just joined a Jiu Jitsu club for a few months and was so excited to learn more about the sport. However, on February 16th, 2020, I tore my ACL. I was devastated. In the summer of 2020, I was supposed to graduate from the physical and last portion of my degree; and of course I was not able to. Many people who know me know I am very hopeful and positive and that is how I remained. I hoped it wasn’t a tear, until I received confirmation from the doctors I fully tore my ACL. I lost all hope. I was mentally and physically defeated, thinking about doing the things I wouldn’t be able to do anymore…or at least not for a while.

Thankfully, I had the best care team I could ever ask for at Twin Cities Orthopedics. My surgeon was Dr. Heikes, with her team, Callie Tosney and Megan Armstrong PA-C. My physical therapist was Braidy Solie. Without these individuals, my hope would have been lost during 9 months of rehab. With them, I gained confidence and hope that one day I will do what I love again. Each of them provided me with guidance and reassurance that I could get through the journey. They reminded me how strong and fierce I am. They pushed me to do things I never thought I would be able to do again.

Today, I have graduated from school and have accepted a position in my dream job. I am back to doing the things I loved to do. I continue to push myself to try new things and give 100% on everything because, one day, it could all be gone just like it was February 16th, 2020. I will be forever grateful for my team and everything they’ve done to get me back to where I am today.

My mother, Nancy, was a patient of Dr. Harris in June of 2016. He and his staff performed a life changing operation. Dr. Harris is an honorary member of the family…only if he wants to be!

My husband saw Dr. Brian Bjerke for a quadricep tendon rupture. We could not be more pleased with the entire process. It was a stressful time for us and Dr. Bjerke, and all of his staff, went out of their way to listen and explain things to us. We cannot say enough positive things. Dr. Bjerke, Andria, Katie and everyone that we encountered was professional, knowledgeable and kind. Thank you all so much.

I have been in the orthopedic industry for over 20 years and have friends and family ask for referrals on a daily basis. My close friend has two sons that are high level athletes in baseball and football. They were dealing with sports injuries and wanted my advice. I referred them to Dr. Ridley and they ended up needing surgery and had fantastic outcomes. Why Dr. Ridley, they asked? First off, he is fellowship trained from the world renowned Steadman Clinic in Vail. He is a fantastic surgeon, ethical in his indications for surgery, was a collegiate athlete in two sports and a patient himself with sports injuries. I ended up seeing Dr. Ridley with a hip problem and he was conservative in his treatment. He recommended physical therapy and I’m doing fantastic. When it comes to sports injuries Dr. Ridley is who I refer all my friends and family to.

The TCO team was excellent in addressing all of my concerns and following up on continued care. Dr. Kelly did surgery on my right shoulder and it was truly a life changer for me. I’m one year out and feel like I’m back on track to full recovery.

I have had a hip replacement and knee replacement with Dr. Owen O’Neill. Both procedures ended with excellent results. If you are considering either procedure, I would recommend Dr. O’Neill.

In high school I played hockey, baseball, and football. Sadly, I only got to play a few seasons of each sport, due to injuries I sustained. I tore my meniscus in baseball during the summer, as I was entering my freshman year. I was unable to play football this year, but with the help of TCO and my physical therapist, Sam Arnold, I was able to come back and play again. I started on the varsity football team my sophomore year, but halfway into the season I tore my ACL and meniscus. I went through the same process with TCO and came back the next year better than ever.

My junior year, I played varsity hockey and football for my school, but due to COVID-19 I didn’t get to play baseball. I had a great year going for me – all conference and being named captain for both hockey and football teams. Going into my senior year, I was looking forward to playing all of my sports and being a leader in all of them. Once again, I tore my ACL and meniscus in football. I didn’t think I was going to be able to play my senior hockey season and I was devastated. Luckily, I found out that rehabilitation before surgery is an option and I decided to play my senior hockey season with a torn ACL and meniscus. With the help of my physical therapist, Sam, I played my whole hockey season and went all conference again. I finally got surgery after the season and I am on the road to recovery right now.

I am very thankful for TCO and everything they have done for me in my recovery. I was able to play my favorite sport during my senior year of high school and I was extremely thankful for that. Through my experiences at TCO, I have decided to go into the field of physical therapy and study kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.

After a massive rotator cuff tear, Dr. Szalapski recommended a reverse shoulder replacement. He’s a straight shooter and says it like it is. There were no surprises and everything went as discussed. It’s been three years and I’m very happy with the surgery! I highly recommend Dr. Szalapski and would go to him again with orthopedic issues.

In May of 2020, our six year old son, Finn, fell and injured his arm while playing at our neighbor’s house. It was obvious that something was wrong as it appeared to our untrained eye that he dislocated his elbow. We rushed him over to the ER at M Health Ridges where he was diagnosed with a break above the elbow that would require surgery and two pins. It was obviously a traumatic experience for him and us, which was exacerbated by the fact that only one parent was allowed to be with him due to COVID protocols.

Finn’s mom was introduced to Dr. Edward Szalapski, who was on call that evening. His calming presence and confidence was reassuring – that he could fix the problem and get Finn back to being a normal, active boy. The surgery happened that evening and Finn was home the same night. The follow up care from Dr. Szalapski and his associates at TCO Edina-Crosstown was fantastic. They walked us through what to expect as Finn’s recovery progressed. Most importantly, they put Finn’s mind at ease every step of the way, from putting on the hard cast, to removing the pins and then getting back to regular activities. Today, Finn’s arm is doing great. He was back to playing baseball by August of 2020, as well as swimming, soccer and wrestling with his brother. Thanks TCO and Dr. Szalapski!