Making the decision to undergo bariatric surgery isn’t easy. You may have arrived at this decision after years of struggling with the physical and medical side effects (high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) of obesity and being unable to lose weight.
Aside from making the choice to undergo surgery and meeting with a physician, your biggest requirement is committing to a new lifestyle. Changing the foods you choose to eat, sticking to the right sized portions, losing weight and most importantly keeping the weight off for the rest of your life is the biggest requirement for long-term success.
Although it might come as a surprise to you, psychological evaluations have become a routine part of pre-operative procedures. Many people often wonder why they are being referred to a psychologist. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first being, insurances have realized the importance of the consultation and evaluation and as a result require it before they will approve your surgery. Most importantly, your team of physicians, nurses, and dietitians are invested in your weight loss journey and want to ensure your will succeed long-term.
The evaluation is designed to identify your strengths; such as, good family or social support, strong motivation to exercise, and a complete understanding of the effects of surgery. It is also designed to identify and generate a working plan for areas that may need improvement in order to increase your chances of success. These areas could be, triggers for emotional eating and/or grazing behavior, poor family/social support, and depression or mood swings.
Your evaluation will consist of several paper pencil questionnaires and inventories. These questionnaires and inventories are completed prior to your schedules appointment time (please arrive 30 minutes early). You will also have a face-to-face interview with the psychologist.
The purpose of this evaluation is never to “fail” you and exclude you from surgery. Research has shown a very small percentage (a number around 4%) are found to be poor candidates for surgery.
The purpose of meeting with the psychologist is to answer any questions you may have. For example, there are patients that are nervous about the surgery itself and could benefit from learning stress management and relaxation techniques. Research has shown evidence that those who go into surgery relaxed heal faster and experience less post-operative pain.
Other patients may be concerned about adjusting to certain dietary restrictions. Psychologists can help explain the process and ease concerns. And, if you feel the need for a referral to therapy feel free to ask. We are here to help you; our goal is to support you on the road to becoming the healthiest version of yourself.