Raphael Bueno, MD

Arrogant and unprofessional. Does not follow up post surgery. Our experience was not good. He may be a premier surgeon but was not at all helpful facing complications. He did not fully explain test results that needed to be addressed to help make future treatment decisions. When one faces cancer a physician needs to talk to his patients and present a full picture of what is going on. Care does not stop at the operating table. It continues during recovery and every patient deserves his physician's time and attention. Arrogance and a demeaning attitude has no place in treating a cancer patient. Bueno falls short in completely taking care of his patients. A little compassion would go a long way. Being a good surgeon is not enough. Cannot recommend Bueno.

My father was a patient of Dr. Bueno for a year. Diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Rushed into grueling 10 hour surgery and filled us with false hope. Was never available to answer questions. I was reprimanded for a long email I sent wanting my questions answered and was told only can be two sentences ! After being in and out of the hospital for a year with complication after complication my father passed away. It’s been 7 months and I still have not heard from Dr. Bueno to express his condolences. He is arrogant and just wants to operate to further his research for this terrible, incurable disease.

I’m sure he’s a great surgeon but he’s extremely arrogant and his bedside is non-existent.

He told me he needed to fix a BENIGN tumor with surgery, tore my esophagus and fed me. Waited ten days, did another 8 hour surgery and then interventional radiology at the BWH ripped that one apart. Was in good health before dr.b, much decreased and forever after. Said obnoxious things like.. when asking about nutrition at day 8 of being NPO he stated " I am trying to save your life and all you care about is eating." I singed off that I knew the risks so there is no compensation for what I lost BEWARE

Dr. Bueno gave me surgery for my Acalasia, and was phenomenal to me & my family. I was only 22 at the time of surgery & now 4 years later my scars are minimal. Dr. Bueno as a doctor is very comfortable to be around and gives his patience the absolute best care! Thanks for everything :)

I am 3 weeks post-op from a first rib resection for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I think Dr. Bueno is magnificent. Before my surgery I had several appointments with him and he was always warm, caring and patient. He is also a pretty funny guy. I am shocked to read the reviews calling him rude or dry because I did not have that experience at all. In fact before my surgery he put me in touch with another patient who had my surgery several months prior so I could speak to someone who went through what I was going to go to. I thought that went above and beyond. I have also seen him several times since my surgery (a few during my hospitalization and one post-op visit in clinic) and each experience after surgery has been great. I can't say enough great things about him!!

I am an RN at BWH and have had the pleasure of taking care of many of Dr. Bueno's patients. He always got rave reviews. I now find myself on the other side of health care and am in the process of planning surgery with Dr. Bueno for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I had to wait almost 2 hours at my office visit, but considering it looked as though some of his patients needed far more attention than I did I was okay with it. Especially since when it was my turn he took his time with my husband and I. He was very patient answering all of our questions and then some. He was very caring and I feel very confident that he will be able to help me.

Dr Bueno saved all of my left lung when I had been diagnosed with Caecinoid tumor in my left Bronchus. I had been told by another MD that I woulde have to loose all of my left lung, which was false. I am now 6 yrs postop, still being followed to ensure there is no reoccurence. He is very dry, but wonderful!

I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at the GE junction. He was extremely confident, and explained to me exactly what the 3 surgical options he had before opening me up. I was a difficult case, as I previously had roux en y gastric bypass surgery 10 years prior. Dr Bueno and Dr Joel Goldberg did a great job. Six months later and the PET/CT were negative for any signs of cancer.

As someone else said, Dr. Bueno is not warm and fuzzy but I'm okay with it because his knowledge and surgical skills make up for it. I went to him for thoracic outlet syndrome after being told I needed my first rib removed because it was blocking an artery and vein when I moved my arm. I had chest pain because of this which he hadn't seen before. He sent me to a neurologist to confirm then we went ahead with surgery. Surgery was very difficult but I feel great now. There was a good chance it wouldn't work or that I could have nerve damage down my arm. I can now feel my arm again and have not had any, minor or severe, chest pain since surgery. Suddenly on my followup he was a new man, smiling and friendly. I think he just doesn't like to jump into anything. I would disregard his demeanor because his surgical skills/knowledge are worth it. Also, the two cardiologists I saw in another state said if I didn't live near Boston they would have had me fly to go to Dr. Bueno. That says a lot.