LifeBridge Health Bariatrics Program Bariatric Center

I totally wish I could give 100 stars because 5 just isn’t enough Dr. Christina Li is phenomenal. She takes the time to get to know you and make sure you follow the plan for a successful and long term lifestyle change. The staff in her office are awesome and so helpful whenever I need a extra push they are always there! I love the Bariatric Team under her. If your looking for a great program come here you won’t be disappointed!

Dr. Li and team are fantastic! Everyone involved assisted in making this life changing processs easy. From the one on one sesssions with Dr. Li and Kim Visioni, classes led by Rebekah Parsons and appointments scheduled and vitals taken by Phyllis Johns, I felt supported. I highly recommend Dr. Li and thank her for my “new healthy life”.

Dr. Li and her entire team from in the office to the OR everyone made this journey so much easier for me and my family.I was very nervous about getting gastric bypass ,I have been to other seminars from different programs but Dr. Li was straight forward from day 1.I went to the seminar first then the consultation.On the day of surgery I was very nervous but everyone at Northwest Hospital of Baltimore made me feel very comfortable.Never had time for anxiety to kick in.LOVE them would recommend them to anyone that's thinking about bariatric surgery.Thanks Dr.Li and team.

I'm almost 3 years post-op and Dr. Li and her entire staff were wonderful from the beginning. I would highly recommend them. Dr. Li is energetic and enthusiastic about helping her patients make life-long changes and having the sleeve was the tool for me to do it. I feel fantastic and hope to stay this way for many more years to come!

I can't say enough about Dr. Li. I'm only 10 days post op and it's been much smoother than I expected. I've had minimal pain, am easily meeting my fluid and protein requirements and have not experienced any nausea. Dr. Li is a skilled and truly caring professional who takes the time to make sure her patients understand the procedure and the changes necessary to be successful and YES she hugs her patients! There is a genuine Doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Li that I've rarely experienced with other doctors. Her staff is also amazing, friendly and professional. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering bariatric surgery.

Dr. Li is the Director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown as well as Sinai in Baltimore. The program is very well organized and Dr. Li's staff is extremely efficient. I started the process of meeting the necessary requirements for VSG surgery in June of 2016 - my surgery was completed in early December. Throughout the process, I genuinely felt Dr. Li cared about me as a person and truly wanted me to succeed. She was accessible and happily answered all of my questions with drawings to ensure I completely understood the method for surgery and recovery. I felt calm and relaxed the day of surgery because I knew I was in great hands. Her clinic staff and the nursing staff at Northwest Hospital were awesome! They were very friendly and extremely professional. I would highly recommend Dr. Li to anyone who is interested in Bariatric surgery. It was a very pleasant experience from start to finish. Prior to finding Dr. Li, I attended the initial Bariatric seminars given by the surgeons of two other programs - one at St. Agnes and the other at the University of Maryland - in my humble opinion, there was no comparison. I feel successful even at this early stage because of Dr. Li's passion, enthusiasm and encouragement.

Dr. Christina Li is wonderful.
BEFORE SURGERY: When I went to her open question and answer "seminar," she was direct with her answers and told me everything I needed to know with a great sense of humour. I already had my mind made up on the Sleeve. She has been nothing short of supportive. What you see with this lady and doctor is what you get as a patient. Yes. There are a the pre-op appointments. Dr. Li's office takes a LOT of headache out of it by giving you a binder with all the info you need right there. Including all the doctor's orders neat and ready to go with your own bar code. I was also given a weight loss goal to lose prior to surgery. This is when you meet Kim Visioni, the Dietician and the person you will see monthly to weigh in and help you toward your goal. Kim is upbeat, warm and full of ideas and encouragement. EVERY single person in Dr. Li's office is a great extension of the type of personalized care she provides.
SURGERY: I went to Northwest Hospital. You go in on the day of surgery: you register and walk back to pre-op. There, you are given gown, IVs, and etc is done. I was walked down to the operating room. I can tell you at this point, I saw the enormity of that Operating Room and I told the head nurse, "I can't do this." She gently asked me to repeat what I had said and then squeezed my hand, telling another: "Page Dr. Li." After sitting me down on the operating table, I think each head of the surgical team assured me they would wait until Dr. Li gave the word and they would get the theatre ready. The nurse assured me that no one would sedate me until Dr. Li and I approved it. I laid down on the table. Dr. Li came in and sat down on a chair next to me, took my hand and asked, "What's going on?" I told her I had confidence in her but felt overwhelmed. "I want to do this for the right reason and not vanity." She continued to hold my hand and reminded me, "You told me about your daughter, your husband and family. You wanted to be healthy for them." That did it. I said, "Let's do this. May we please pray first?" Dr. Li said, "Sure!" Everyone immediately around me stopped around before that prayer was over, I was out.
IMMEDIATE POST-OP: I don't recall any moment of being in recovery.
POST-OP IN ROOM: I don't recall being wheeled to my room. I do remember having the IV pole still with me, a catheter (which was inserted while sedated in OR) and puffy things around my lower legs to prevent blood clots. My room was private. It was small but perfect for getting up and using the restroom (after the catheter was removed) . For a while there was nothing to drink by mouth. You're getting everything by IV. The nurses came around to supply pain medication. You also have a an additional thumb press that will signal the IV to give you extra pain medication. It's regulated so you can't go crazy on it. The nurses were great. When the time is right, they will get you up for a brief, slow walk in the hall way. Later, you will be taken down on a gurney to a room where they have you stand between two big "flats" of an X-ray machine. They will have you take a sip to a mouthful of the kind of stuff you take for colonoscopies. Take a sip. Swallow when they say and HOLD IT. Then, do it a couple more times. It wasn't bad at all. This is to make sure that Dr. Li's work is doing well, the liquid is going along the digestive tract as it should. Then, you get wheeled back on the gurney. Throughout the stay at this point, you're allowed water to sip. A little later, a walk.
THE STITCHES and PAIN: I have four solid little scars measuring approximately an inch each horizontal across my abdomen at the bottom of my ribs. I have one smaller one up above. They never bothered me. As for my pain throughout the entire recovery period was on my middle to my right.. That pain put me at a 4 out of 10 (10 being the greatest). When I discharged, Dr. Li already had a prescription filled for me for pain for use at home. That was my ONLY source of pain. Which was lowered to a 2/3 out of 10. Within a week, it was manageable with just Tylenol gels, regular strength. Of the bottle of pain medication Dr. Li prescribed me, I used only a 1/4 of the bottle. Please know, everyone is different regarding pain. You may need more or less.
POST-OP: I saw Dr. Li 5 days later. I was weighed, vitals taken and sutured areas checked (stitches). I was 8 lbs down from the surgery. I have a 10 lb lifting restriction.

I am now less than a month out from surgery. My next appointment is on the 19th and I'm looking forward to meeting Rebekah, the NP and seeing Kim again.

They are wonderful. Nothing less.

Dr. Li is the best!!!!! I was sleeved on Nov 10, 2016 and I feel like a new man! Dr Li and her team are the best! Everyone has been so supportive, answered all of my questions and addressed the many concerns that I had. I highly recommend Dr. Li and her staff!!!!

Dr. Li performed my RNY Gastric Bypass surgery on February 23, 2015. The care I received from Dr. Li and her entire team was and continues to be exemplary. The pre-surgical education program provided by Dr. Li and her team, especially Charlotte Dunlap ( Nutritionist ) was very thorough and provided answers to every question I had in a professional and caring manor. I felt totally prepared and confident that I had made the right decision to have Dr. Li perform my gastric bypass surgery. The surgery was performed at NorthWest Hospital where I received the best of care for two days. From the day of admission to the day of discharge Dr. Li and her team were supportive and compassionate, making every effort to assure a positive outcome. It has been 18 months since my surgery and I am very happy with my progress. I am most pleased with the fact that since the surgery I no longer require medication to control my blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels. All are within normal limits. Thank you so much Dr. Li and team.

I had a Bypass with Dr. Christina Li on 5/26/16 and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was and still am with Dr. Li and her Team! They were all very supportive and anything I needed, I knew I could just call and speak with someone immediately. Dr.Li cares for her patients with so much love and the fact that she gives you a hug after every visit! It’s just amazing. I tried to have the courage to go through with this surgery for many years, but as soon as I met Dr. Li I knew I had found the right doctor. My first appointment with her was already on a positive note and I was given all the necessary steps to complete all of my pre-op exams.

Overall, she’s kind and extremely knowledgeable on her profession! I would recommend Dr. Li to anyone who is looking to undergo any type of Gastric surgery.

Isabella Vieira