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 Bariatric Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation?
Most clients who elect to undergo bariatric surgery will be referred to a psychologist for assessment. The purpose of pre-surgical evaluations is to give surgery patients the opportunity to talk through goals and plans with a professional prior to treatment, ensuring they have appropriate expectations. If you’re still trying to determine whether or not bariatric surgery is the right option for you, an evaluation can also help you think through the decision-making process. Many patients considering bariatric surgery think that a history of mental health concerns may mean insurers deny coverage for their bariatric surgery, but this Is not always the case. Assessments in our office are used by insurance plan providers and your surgeon to determine whether or not clients will safely and successfully achieve their weight loss and health goals following surgery.
What Kind of Testing is Involved?
Depending on your specific situation and past health history, your evaluation may include a number of assessments and a clinical interview. We will begin by asking you to complete a background questionnaire to give our clinician the foundation of knowledge they need to provide appropriate guidance and create an accurate pre-surgical evaluation report. Questionnaires, assessments, and clinical interview will be completed at the same appointment to ensure the process is completed in a timely manner.
Many people think that these conversations are stressful or intimidating, but they can and should be thought of as a relaxed conversation with a professional. To ensure the best and most accurate results of your evaluation, we encourage you to speak openly and honestly during these interviews.
During your clinical interview, you will be asked a number of questions including:
- Why are you interested in bariatric surgery?
- What non-surgical weight loss steps have you tried?
- Have you dieted or struggled with weight recently or throughout your life?
- What is your current diet like?
- What plans do you have for diet and lifestyle changes after surgery?
- What expectations do you have for weight loss after surgery?
- Do you have a support system in place to help you before, during, and after surgery?
- Do you have a past or current psychological diagnosis or treatment plan?
Your clinician’s role during pre-surgical bariatric evaluation is three-fold. They collect information, educate you about emotional stress and risks, and help you address concerns that arise during evaluation and plan to cope with concerns that may arise after treatment. After your pre-surgical clinical interview, you will likely need to complete additional assessments that help us to better understand your thought process, goals, and areas of strength and struggle before you undergo surgery. The assessments are offered as a set of rating scales, asking you to thoughtfully consider your experience and rate your emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to specific situations associated with surgery. The results of your assessments and clinical interviews will be compiled as a report for your insurer and surgeon. For more information about our spinal cord stimulator psychological evaluations in Fort Collins, CO, contact us.