Psychological Evaluations for Bariatric Surgery

Obesity is a disease with many different components including social and cultural factors, genetics, physiological, psychological and behavioral dimensions.  According to recent statistics, 127 million adults in the US are overweight, 60 million obese and 9 million who are severely obese. It is a problem that has gained national attention.

Procedures to help manage obesity including Gastric Bypass Surgery are now in demand, as the increasing health risks of obesity are becoming more apparent.  The actual procedure is one aspect of the surgery, the other is the commitment of the patient to making the changes necessary to maintain weight loss. A degree of control is restored to the patient, where he/she has the ability to make a difference in their quality of life.

Due to the many components of this disease, there is a process that most surgeons require before scheduling surgery that includes psychological evaluation.  The purpose of the psychological evaluation is to identify any circumstances that might endanger the patient's postoperative recovery or the success of the operation. Some of the issues considered include realistic expectations with respect to the surgery, psychological readiness, risk of postoperative depression, ability to follow required postoperative lifestyle changes, including diet, eating patterns and exercise.  Most people have researched and committed to following through before considering the surgery. Some times people need pre-operative psychological treatment with specific goals before they are ready.

At Health Psychology Group, we have been working with patients to provide pre-surgical psychological evaluation, treatment if necessary and post-operative support.  We have developed a state-of the art program for assessing individuals interested in bariatric surgery to evaluate their eligibility for this procedure as well as the likelihood for their positive adjustment afterward.  Additional programs for behavior management, body image and cognitive change strategies will enhance the likelihood of patients’ positive adjustment and successful outcomes in the aftermath of the surgical procedure.  We have found that this procedure has made such a vital and dynamic transformation in the lives of individual patients. 

We will work with your surgeon and give you the best possible care.  We know there are a lot of pre-surgical appointments required.  We can schedule you for an evaluation quickly and provide the results to proceed in a timely manner.