Accepting new patients

Ryan J. Li, M.D., M.B.A.

Accepting new patients

  • Surgeon

Specialty

  • Cancer
  • Otolaryngology (ENT)

Clinical focus

  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Head and Neck Surgery
  • Microvascular Reconstruction
  • Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery
  • TransOral Robotic Surgery (TORS)

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Physicians Pavilion brick building with greenery surrounding it.
Physicians Pavilion
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Modern building on a clear day with the tram in the background.
Center for Health & Healing, Building 2
503-494-8311
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About me

I am a surgeon who specializes in:

  • Treating head and neck cancers and thyroid and parathyroid diseases
  • Using robot-assisted surgery through the mouth to treat some throat cancers
  • Repairing head and neck wounds and deformities with microvascular reconstruction (using tissue from elsewhere in the body)

I am devoted to working through treatments with patients and their loved ones. As part of the head and neck cancer team, I support patients with gentle, clear and complete care. My team and I support patients after treatment to help them have the best quality of life they can.

My research interests include:

  • Household finances related to head and neck cancer treatment
  • Digital devices to aid recovery from cancer treatment
  • Clinical trials on shrinking tumors to treat oropharyngeal cancer (cancer in the middle part of the throat)

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my daughter and my wife, Dr. Myriam Loyo Li. She is a facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon at OHSU. I also relish the company of my extended family in Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong and the eastern United States. I enjoy tennis, running, indoor wall climbing, hiking and what beautiful Oregon has to offer.

Languages spoken

  • English

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2004, Brown University
    • M.D., 2008, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
    • M.B.A., 2022, Oregon Health and Science University

  • Residency

    • Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2014

  • Fellowship

    • Head and neck surgery, microvascular reconstruction, Stanford University, 2015

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (2015)

Memberships and associations:

  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
  • American Head and Neck Society (AHNS)
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Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.9 out of 5 (348 Ratings, 112 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey patient surveys.

  1. Caring and compassionate. Had a clear understanding of the problem.

  2. Dr. Li is awesome. Glad you are able to keep such a skilled clinician.

  3. Experience was very good with both the student and the Dr Li. Clearly communicated and took time for questions.

  4. Topic well understood and explained.

  5. Clinician and first- year resident were both polite and accepting of feedback/questions.

  6. Excellent

  7. My experience was positive.

  8. Dr. Li made me feel at ease. He explained things very thoroughly. He is a great listener. He took the time to answer all my questions. I would highly recommend him. I was very pleased.

  9. Competent and caring

  10. Dr. Li was very thorough and easy to understand when he explained treatment of my health issue. He gave answers to my questions before I could ask them. He put me at ease quickly, as the staff who worked with him had done.

  11. Dr. Li is experienced, dedicated, and compassionate.

  12. He is so lovely. Very kind & thorough. I felt heard.

  13. Very open minded and helpful .

  14. Good

  15. Took time to explain pros and cons and answered questions to my satisfaction. Giving me time to decide if I am comfortable having the surgery and taking the 1% risk that outcome might not be ideal. Getting MRI for better imaging of the area before surgery would be attempted. And will follow-up with me when results available.

  16. They made sure to notify my bf when he could pick up my prescriptions and when I was able to go home. They made sure I had all my paperwork and went over after care instructions with him so that things went smoothly at home.

  17. Dr. Li is great. He listens to what I have to say, and notices and verifies if something is concerning.

  18. Dr Li was excellent throughout.

  19. I have been working with this doctor for awhile to solve my problem

  20. Dr Li is amazing. I was so scared and both he and his assistant were reassuring and kind. I felt like Dr Li made sure I was properly numbed up and didn't make me feel like a "weeny" for being scared of the potential pain. OHSU is lucky to have him

  21. Caring people

  22. Dr. Li is a excellent doctor his knowledge and honesty are unmatched. I trust him to help me regain my health

  23. Dr Ryan Li is not only a fantastic doctor, he is kind, compassionate, caring, and goes above and beyond to explain what the situation is and how to address the problem. I am grateful for his care and glad that he is my ENT.

  24. He was willing to hear my concerns and add his input of possible treatments.

  25. Always things went well during our appointment

  26. Fast and. Friendly

  27. Dr. Ryan Li has been always personal and professional. He listens closely to my situation and expresses his expertise and experience while conveying empathy and compassion. I appreciate that he takes the time to read and evaluate any information/photos I have sent him through My Chart.

  28. Very personable, provided medical knowledge needed in a clear way. He adjusted his speech/dialogue to match my medical experience and education and adapt to my husbands different level as well. He helped clarify the decisions that needed to be made. By the time I left we had a clear plan which I clearly understood.

  29. I feel very fortunate to have Dr Li oversee my medical issue. He answered any questions and concerns I had. I'm glad to have him for my doctor.

  30. Dr Li is an excellent Dr. I have a complex difficult diagnosis and he took the time needed to resolve multiple outstanding issues and concerns.