Division of Thoracic Surgery

The Division of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) provides expert and personalized care for patients with thoracic diseases, from common conditions to rare cancers. Our surgeons are recognized as among the finest thoracic specialists in the world: surgical experts who have pioneered life-saving breakthroughs and research scientists continually advancing thoracic medicine.

Under the leadership of Raphael Bueno, MD, our board-certified specialists provide innovative treatment for a wide spectrum of thoracic diseases and conditions affecting the lungs, esophagus, chest wall, pleura, diaphragm and mediastinum. We are the surgical oncology team for Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.

Our patient-centered model of care integrates a multidisciplinary team of BWH specialists with referring physicians, patients and family members. We consider every aspect of the patient experience—diagnosis, treatment and recovery—with compassionate attention. Care is tailored to each patient, and includes the latest medical techniques and surgical treatment, including minimally invasive approaches with robotics, video and lasers that often result in less pain and shortened hospital stays.

We provide precisely the kind of care you would want for yourself or a loved one. Our Thoracic Surgery team includes some of the finest thoracic surgeons in the world, each a respected specialist in thoracic surgery, and each with their own personal skills and style of care. We believe in a consultative relationship with our referring physicians, while providing a level of care that extends from our physicians to our nurses, anesthesiologists, radiologists, even our support staff. And we innovate—we are always looking for new ways to treat our patients. If anyone can deliver what’s best for your loved one or patient, we can.

Why Brigham and Women’s Hospital for Thoracic Surgery?

  • International reputation for surgical excellence for the full spectrum of thoracic conditions, from the very common to the rare and life-threatening.
  • Surgeons with years of advanced training, clinical experience and scientific research in specialty areas, including thoracic cancers and minimally invasive surgery.
  • A unique, patient-centered model of care which is multi-disciplinary and comprehensive, an active component of the Brigham and Women’s Lung Center.
  • Multidisciplinary team approach combining expert thoracic surgeons with specialists from surgery, pulmonary medicine, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, pathology, anesthesiology and more.
  • A customized treatment plan tailored to each patient, and access to unique and innovative treatment options including cutting-edge clinical trials.
  • Personal, attentive, responsive care and communications.
  • A team approach that promotes collaboration throughout the treatment process; 90% of related oncological and medical care is coordinated with the referring physicians in the patient’s local setting.
  • Thoracic surgery leaders who travel internationally to perform and teach minimally invasive surgical techniques to foreign colleagues.
  • Surgeons whose ground-breaking research and medical innovations receive grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
  • World-wide pioneer in the diagnosis, treatment and care of mesothelioma.
  • Most thoracic procedures performed with minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), laparoscopy, endoscopy and robotic surgery.
  • National recognition for end stage lung failure, candidate evaluation and surgical expertise for single and double lung transplants.
  • In-depth, physician-led patient outcomes research that improves patient care.
  • Thoracic surgeons who are among the finest in the world; they are all on the faculty of the Harvard Medical School and provide exclusive treatment to Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.
  • Multiple locations offering optimal convenience at our main hospital campus in Boston, Weymouth (Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center in affiliation with South Shore Hospital), Milford (Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center at Milford Regional Medical Center).
  • Patient coordinators who provide seamless appointment access and patient information.

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