Patient Testimonials

I had back issues for years and things got to the point where walking, or sometimes standing, was difficult and very painful. Dr. Crowe performed a spinal fusion on my lower back over two years ago and I have returned to a normal, pain free life. I am able to swim, jog, and enjoy exercise again. Twin Cities Orthopedics is the place I look to for all of my orthopedic care.

I have had knee pain and significant swelling for well over a decade. I finally decided to take action and find a solution. Fortunately, I was referred to Twin Cities Orthopedics, specifically Dr. Ryan Hess. I recall Dr. Hess calling me with my MRI results one Friday evening and spent about 30 minutes with me on the phone explaining his thoughts and what the next steps could be. I remember thinking it was pretty impressive that a doctor would spend time after hours on a Friday explaining to me his advice and what all the possible options and outcomes would be. Ultimately we agreed to move forward with the knee surgery and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I was up and walking around the day after surgery and within a couple of weeks, my knee feels better than it has for over 10 years. I would highly recommend Dr. Hess with TCO. Thanks Dr. Hess & team!

I have had Dupuytren’s contracture for quite a while and decided it was time to take care of it. After Dr. McCarthy explained the procedure, I said “let’s do it, it’s time.” I came in on a Tuesday, she injected my finger, and I returned on Thursday for manipulation. Both went very smoothly with very minimal pain in either procedure. I had a splint immediately after manipulation and some swelling, but still, very little pain. After one week, my finger was straight! Dr. McCarthy made the whole process go very well. I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long. I would highly recommend her to anyone suffering from Dupuytren’s contracture.

Prior to the surgery with Dr. Kelly, my ability to walk comfortably was hit or miss. And even on the best days, the first several steps after sitting were slow, stiff & difficult. Following a bi-lateral total knee replacement, I’m back to fitness walking with no distance limits or pain. I don’t have to worry about a knee giving out while descending stairs, and I’m able to do essentially all the things I’ve enjoyed throughout my life.

Dr. Simonet did my hip replacement five weeks ago and it couldn’t have gone any better. He has a great bedside manner, he answered all of my questions thoroughly prior to surgery, and everything went as I expected. His entire staff is great! They were very professional, especially his assistant Jane. Another thing to note is when you go back for a follow-up appointment, you are called in on-time and are not expected to wait. All in all, I would totally recommend Dr. Simonet!

I have been seeing Dr. Bakker for over 5 years. He is always very patient, kind, and explains everything in Layman’s terms. I have sent both of my parents to him and they were both very impressed by his bedside manner and his knowledge. I highly recommend Dr. Bakker.

This review will be somewhat different from others as my history with Dr. Cammack goes back nearly 15 years and 4 surgeries, with a 5th planned. I met Dr. Cammack after a suicide attempt in February of 2005, which resulted in significant injuries; including a pelvis broken in 3 places, 3 vertebra in my back fractured, and both heels were completely smashed, along with quite a bit of internal bleeding. Due to my injuries, Dr. Cammack was assigned to me to oversee my case. I liked him straight away, he reminds me of Doogie Howser – a mix of extreme intelligence and genuine ‘aw shucks’ personality. He went through my injuries and talked about the surgeries I would need to be fixed and what to expect.

TCO is a large practice with doctors, specializing in all kinds of surgeries. Dr. Cammack did not pass me over to another member of the practice. He felt that I really needed to see dedicated specialists who focused exclusively on the pelvis and lower back and that he would do the research and would know more the next day. The next morning he informed me he had narrowed it down to two different teams and would have the answer the next day. Thursday morning he walked in, made sure I was okay and had everything I needed, then told me that he had spoken to the other surgeons and I would be going to HCMC early Friday morning to have the surgeries. He did the research himself (no assistants) and spoke to the surgeons so that they could clear their schedules to see me right away.

The surgeries went well except for the fact that I found out I am immune to morphine. On Monday I was back to North Memorial and back under Cammack’s care. Every day that I was in the hospital he would come and see me, regardless of which ward I was in. Including the psychiatric ward after finding out I am type 2 bipolar. If he was out of the hospital then one of his colleagues would see me. He performed both ankle surgeries at the same time (I figured it was best to get it all over with at once). He was always positive about my recovery and honest about what I could expect.

In the decade and a half that I have known him, he has gone from supremely talented doctor, to a learned friend who helped to take care of me at the worst moments of my life. If you give him a compliment, he gets genuinely uneasy but in a down-to-earth manner. He is humble, genuine, and nothing is forced about him. What you see is what you get. I am extraordinarily grateful to him for his years of taking care of my battered feet. I can honestly say that I can walk because of him.

Dr. Moeller is very knowledgeable and takes the time to truly listen to her patients. I am very grateful for her thorough examination of my injury and ongoing care to assist me in reaching maximum potential with a post right wrist fracture. She explains things in detail and provides realistic options for treatment with comprehensive follow up to measure progress.
I definitely feel that she has my best interests in perspective. Thank you for your ongoing expertise and care.

I have just recovered from my second knee replacement by Dr. Szalapski. I had such good results 8 years ago with my first surgery, that I elected to have the other knee done when doing all my usual activities became almost impossible without much discomfort. After 7 weeks, I am so good that I can’t believe it. I am going up and down stairs like a grown-up for the first time in over 2 years. I can do everything I use to do, but better. Having only one day in the hospital this time was okay. I had help at home for a few days but I was driving myself to PT one week later. I elected to not take any pain meds after the surgery so I didn’t have to recover from that either. Dr. Szalapski knows exactly what to do and my knee did not have staples or stitches this time, so that was also good. The scar has healed beautifully. Thank you to the fine team that cared for me, including Traci and Jessica.

It had gotten to the point that the bunion and two hammer toes on my right foot made it very painful to walk, especially in closed shoes. Based on my family history of bad feet, I knew I had to do something because if they were left unchecked, it would only get worse. I decided to see Dr. McGarvey based on the number of bunioneictomies he had performed (more than 8,000) and patient testimonials. Dr. McGarvey is a very direct, no nonsense physician, with clear expectations of his patients’ post-operative recovery activities. I have faithfully followed his guidance and seven weeks after surgery, healing is progressing as expected.