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Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluations

Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation in Fort Collins, CO

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spinal psychological evaluations fort collins
woman sitting in chair, pre-surgical psychological evaluations, Fort Collins, CO

What is a Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?

Prior to surgical treatment, insurers may require a pre-surgical psychological evaluation to ensure the patient is mentally and emotionally prepared for the process of undergoing and recovering from surgery. This is often the case for surgical treatments that are newer or sometimes considered elective, such as spinal cord stimulator surgery, which is an emerging treatment for chronic pain. The surgical treatment works by addressing dysfunction in the nerve system. Only 9% of nerves are meant to send and receive pain signals, so pain messages are important indicators that protect us from causing harm to our bodies. When these nerve receptors are overactive or dysfunctional, people may experience chronic pain. For these patients, a spinal cord stimulator (SCS) device may be surgically placed to directly attach to your nerve system and redirect pain responses. The SCS device masks the pain signal before it reaches the brain. This relieves unnecessary pain and aids in the healing and recovery process after injury.

Who Should Receive Spinal Cord Stimulator Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?

SCS pre-surgical psychological evaluations are often required by insurers and surgeons in order to ensure you receive coverage from your insurance plan for the surgical procedure. Some clients also elect to receive a pre-surgical psychological evaluation to help them determine whether or not an SCS device is the right option to address your chronic pain. Our goal during a pre-surgical psychological evaluation is always to help clients feel 100% confident before electing to undergo surgery. Many people worry that we are here to “pass” or “fail” them as a candidate for surgery, but this is simply not the case. Our clinicians want to help you develop appropriate expectations, understand the potential mental and physical health ramifications of treatment, and ensure a safe and successful conclusion to your SCS device placement. Past psychological concerns or treatment will not necessarily mean denial of insurance coverage for SCS device placement surgery. We assess every client’s situation and make our recommendations based on the individual case.

What Kind of Testing is Involved?

To get started with your SCS pre-surgical psychological evaluation, we will have you answer a series of questions that will give us information about your medical history, current conditions, and other factors that impact treatment success. We want to understand your current level of pain, history of dealing with chronic pain, lifestyle and activities that may be contributing to discomfort, and the results of past attempts at relieving pain. We want to have a clear understanding of your beliefs about the causes of your chronic pain and what expectations you have for pain reduction after surgery.

The initial questionnaires guide the clinical interview portion of the evaluation. Many people are worried about the clinical interview, but we encourage clients to think of this simply as a conversation with a professional who knows about the emotional and physical stress of undergoing surgery and making big life changes. We’re not here to judge you. Our clinician wants to collect and assess information required by your insurer or surgeon to approve surgery, but we also want to help you think through the surgical treatment process and potential concerns to improve your chances for success. During the clinical interview, we will help you address any emotional concerns that arise and talk through coping skills for issues that may arise after surgery.

After your assessment and clinical interview, we will provide a thorough report that you can give to your insurance company and surgeon. If you have questions or concerns after the evaluations are completed, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your clinician. To schedule a evaluation in Fort Collins, CO, contact us.

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Protecting Your Privacy

We understand that recent news coverage around government tracking of autism diagnoses may be concerning. Please know that your privacy is our top priority. Under HIPAA, your health information – including any diagnoses – is fully protected. There have been no changes to privacy laws, and we are not required to report autism or any other diagnoses to the government. We will continue to safeguard your personal information with the highest standards of confidentiality and care.

If any changes to the law occur, we will immediately communicate with our clients and advocate on your behalf. In the meantime, your trust and privacy remain secure with us.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us directly. We are here for you.

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