Richard Bucholz, MD

Can say nothing but excellence regarding Dr. Bucholz. An excellent Neurosurgeon. Works with the patient and fully explains issues, prognosis and follow up options. Surgery for epilepsy was my only choice - drugs would work for while then breakthroughs, Not from St. Louis area - was referred by my then neurologist. He brought my life back to a quality seizure-free one.

I went to see Dr. Bucholz for a second opinion from a hospital I had been receiving care from for 6 years for a Brain Tumor. I wanted to make sure that what I was being told at the other hospital was confirmed. When I saw Dr. Bucholz, in my first visit he was condescending. He had not looked at my MRI CDs that I had sent prior to the appt, so that I could get his opinion. He wanted his own. I got a large series of MRIs, and then didn't hear back. I had to call his office to see if he still wanted to see me. The nurse called me back and said he did want to see me and scheduled an appt for me to see him. In the appt. Dr. Bucholz told me my Tumor had GROWN and he wanted to do a biopsy. I have a long history of Brain surgeries and complications I had, and still with this info he wanted to do a biopsy. As a cancer patient when you hear a tumor has grown, you get greatly concerned and so I agreed to have a biopsy. I did not see him pre-op or post-op. He said he saw me in the recovery… rm before I woke up. I only saw a Resident. I was discharged from the hospital the next day in the afternoon. I got home and started vomiting profusly. I should have gone back to the Hospital, but I didn't want to have to go back to just get fluids. I ended up having a 2 hour seizure (very serious) that night. I went into the ER via ambulance with my husband. The surgery Resident said it wasn't a surgical problem and left me to the neurology resident. The next day, Dr. Bucholz still did not see me and I was discharged by a Neurologist. When I questioned why I had the seizure in my follow-up office visit, he became very angry and was yelling. I had to go see him several more times to get my path results (which he kept saying weren't ready for 3 more visits). I got the results and decided to go to another hospital for Cancer Treatment. Two Hospitsals said my tumor NEVER DID GROW and I didn't need treatment. I went through a bipsy I didn't need, had a 2 hr seizure that started a week of every hr. seizure, and seizures to continue months afterward, had to go to OT and PT for months for deficits all for NO REASON. He gave an inacurate Medical diagnosis.