SLBMI Nutrition and Weight Management Division>>Obesity

Bariatric Surgery Evaluations

Bariatric, or weight loss, surgery is a life changing event. Just as it is important to be medically prepared for the surgery, it is also important to be psychologically prepared. Patients who are most successful following surgery are those who are able to do exactly what the physician recommends post-surgically. They lose the most weight, have the least weight regain after reaching goal weight, and have the fewest post-surgical medical complications. Most bariatric surgeons and insurance companies require a psychological evaluation.

The purpose of the psychological evaluation is to assure that there are not psychological factors such as severe depression or eating disorders that would interfere with achieving maximum benefit from the surgery. If there are areas of concern, the psychologist will recommend methods for improving those areas prior to surgery, including therapy. Sometimes the psychologist will recommend that a patient work with a dietitian for a limited period of time to be sure the patient is able to follow a prescribed meal plan. It is never the goal for a psychologist to prevent a motivated patient from having the surgery. Rather, the goal is to have patients channel that motivation down a path that will lead them to success.

The evaluation consists of an hour of psychological testing and an hour interview. The goal is to obtain as much information as possible about pre-surgical needs of the prospective patient. People are encouraged to schedule a follow-up appointment to go over test results.