Cynthia Long Bariatric Surgeon M.D., F.A.C.S.

My first impression about Dr. Long was that she was very knowledgeable and experienced. Over time, in each meeting with Dr. Long that initial impression was confirmed. The office staff at Sinai Hospital’s Bariatric Clinic is professional, patient, and welcoming. I cannot think of one thing that I do not like about Dr. Long. When I initially went in I thought I would automatically get approved for the surgery just based off of my weight. Although I was qualified, Dr. Long did not operate on me until she was positive that I fully understood that weight loss surgery is not a temporary fix, but a lifestyle change. She immediately addressed all risks, questions, and concerns I had regarding the procedure. Once she felt comfortable that we were on the same page, we were able to schedule a date. She did not treat me like just another random surgery, I was treated as an individual and she was concerned about my health. During my stay at Sinai, Dr. Long made certain to check on me to ensure I was okay and being properly cared for. Since having the procedure there have been times that I felt like I was falling off track; Dr. Long and her staff have been very supportive in helping me pull myself back together. She has a great aftercare program that if followed will lead to great life lasting results. If there is anyone reading this who is considering having weight loss surgery, Dr. Long is an amazing surgeon. I would rate Dr. Long a 10 on everything and if given a chance to change my decision on having the surgery, I wouldn’t. Thank you Dr. Long for everything, it is because of you that I have my life back.

I started my journey back in 2010 with the help of Dr. Long. Through-out my process she has taken a personal interest in not only my health but my wellbeing.
I choose to do the Lap band surgery for several reasons:

1.It was the least invasive
2.The adjustability of the band
3.I left I could control my weight loss journey with the band
4.Surgery was quick. I only stayed one night in the hospital
5.The band is reversible

Going thru this process with Dr. Long has made the process easier to understand the importance of my journey. Her bedside manner has been excellent from day one, she has answered all my questions, she is responsive with my emails and calls, her staff is professional and courteous, my wait times are not long, and the aftercare follow up process is phenomenal. I would recommend anyone who is serious about their health to Dr. Long!

ms. long is my doctor and a great doctor she is. very concerned about my welfare and was took great care of me during the entire process along with her staff and office. made me feel so confortable and i dont regret making the decision of seeing her and going thru this operation. i thank you for helping me get my life back on track.

Overall, I have a very positive opinion of Dr. Long with respect to the quality of her care, her professionalism, and her one-on-one interactions with me both prior to and since my surgery (a vertical sleeve gastrectomy). One might think this is simply tied to the fact that I had no complications, an uneventful recovery, and have enjoyed a successful period of weight loss. But, writing this nearly one year after my surgery and after reading about other patients' experiences with other surgeons, I feel that I am fortunate to have worked with someone who has been thoroughly professional while remaining engaging and personable. The stereotyped arrogance or condescension associated with many surgeons has not surfaced in my experience with her. To that end, I have appreciated her serious consideration of and responses to my questions and descriptions of issues that have concerned me. Certainly, nothing is ever perfect, and there will always be minor snags along the way. For example, she left a voice mail message for me that seemed to address issues related to another patient. No privacy issues were involved, but it was concerning that it seemed that patient charts may have been mis-filed. If I have a criticism, it is tied to my perception that it is somewhat difficult to get in contact with her directly. More than anything, I suspect that that is a function of her schedule or staff disconnects. In fact, my PCP tried to contact her to clarify a medication issue, but she never received a call-back. My guess is that the message simply did not get through to Dr. Long. In summary, I highly recommend that patients in the Baltimore and DC metro areas consider her for their bariatric surgery.

I love Dr Long! So much so that I followed her to Baltimore and would probably want to continue aftercare with her no matter where she'd work! :)
My first impression was that she's very skilled & detailed. Her plan was easy to follow and she gave all new patients a binder that explained the process step by step She made things clear at surgery & right after, which assuaged some worries I had early on. I had no complications from my surgery. My positive opinion on Dr Long has not changed over time. However, I feel that she could have better staff at Sinai - they did not make for a smooth transition from her private practice to working at Sinai and I have had some problems in them relaying messages & communicating. Future patients should know that Dr Long is an employee of Sinai, which already had an established bariatric program. If a future patient does not feel comfortable with any aspect of Sinai's program, they need to weigh that carefully and discuss their concerns. For example, I decided to return to my original nutritionist instead of continuing aftercare with the nutritionist at Sinai; their plan did not coincide with what worked for my body, but it may work better for other people.
I've heard alot of stories of surgeons either having good competence but bad bedside manner - Dr Long has good skills on both, which is a hard find. One cannot base their success on a program or a surgeon, so it is important for potential patients to know the great majority of the work & success will be the patient's, but it is extremely important to have a supportive & understanding surgeon. I have nothing but good things to say about Dr Long!

I have liked Dr. Long from the moment I met her. She is so nice and very helpful and informative. Her staff is kind and efficient. I had to wait for over an hour once for my appt, but when she got into the room, she gave me all her attention, and I forgot all about it. I imagine she gives all her patients more time that she should and runs over. I just don't schedule late afternoon appts anymore. She has a very organized, structured program pre- and post-surgery. She addressed every risk and probably went a little overboard on all the tests and pre-op testing. I would rate her as a top-knotch surgeon and would use her again in a heartbeat. Her surgical competence and bedside manner are both great.

I met Cynthia a year ago and found her informative and her office was very friendly and welcoming to the obese patient. She shares an office with my personal care physician and even when I am not visiting Dr. Long, Nancy, her front desk assistant, is kind. Dr. Long listened to my thoughts about surgery and offered her insights but allowed the decisions to be mine. She is well organized and has a complete program for her bariatric patients.

November 4, 2009

When I first meet Dr. Long. I knew that I wanted her to be my surgeon. She came across as very personal. However her office staff were not very knowledgeable which made it very difficult and frustrating for me. I had an advantage being a nurse, because her receptionist acted like she was a doctor. When I wanted to speak with Doctor Long she would act as though she was the doctor. After my surgery, I felt like I was alone. Dr.Long did call me two days after my surgery. However when I struggled with food choices and emotional issues. I live 1 1/2 hours from my doctors, which is scary for someone just getting this type of surgery. I did not know anyone who had this and I was pretty much on my own. Thank God, Dr. Long did tell me about this web site. It really helped me when I had questions and was not able to talk to her. She is a good surgeon by all means. I did not have any major complications. I have healed very well. Having a good bedside manner and caring for your patient after surgery is what helps the patient from a holistic approach.

She's doing a good job.

I liked Dr. Long from the first time I met her. rnMy impression has only gotten better.rnIvania is her nurse/receptionist and she is wonderful!rnThere really isn't anything so far that I don't like about Dr. Long.rnShe seems to be caring, concerned and willing to take time with you.rnShe says that aftercare is a lifelong process.rnShe answered all of my questions willingly and didn't seem to 'dodge' any answers.rnExcellent!rnSo far, both are great!rn