About Pre-Surgical Evaluations

A pre-surgical bariatric evaluation consists of assessment of risk factors that could lead to post-surgical complications.  These evaluations include an assessment of emotional functioning and coping skills, particularly poorly managed anxiety and depressive symptoms, in addition to measures that screen severely maladaptive eating behaviors.

Most insurance companies and surgical weight loss centers require psychological screening prior to undergoing certain surgical procedures.  These evaluations seek to minimize risk factors and prepare patients for successful post-surgical adjustment.

Most evaluations are completed within two hours; however, the time varies from patient to patient as some require longer to complete self-report questionnaires.

A review of medical records is an essential component of these evaluations, as medical compliance and weight histories can be reviewed.  Bringing medical records to your appointment expedites the overall process and allows for the clinician to ask questions about information found in a patient’s records.  Finalized evaluation profile reports are not typically available to be released to a client and the surgical weight loss center for two weeks after receipt of medical records and any other pertinent information.  Please initiate this process of obtaining the last two years of medical records prior to your appointment if possible.  Primary care physicians can choose to mail or fax medical records.  For large records, mailing is preferred.

While most individuals are cleared for surgery upon completion of their initial psychological evaluation, some patients may benefit from further assessment of their emotional functioning, demonstration of improved medical compliance, education about surgical risk factors, or follow up psychological/psychiatric services.  If you are not initially cleared, a clinician will provide detailed information about the steps required to move to a cleared status.  Postponing surgery is not intended to cause distress to patients.  Instead, it reflects that there may be additional steps that a patient can take to maximize postsurgical success and minimize risk factors.

Bariatric evaluations begin with completion of standard paperwork as well as a self-report questionnaire.  This information is then reviewed by a clinician and a brief interview is conducted to gain additional information.  After this interview, patients are assisted with the completion of several self-report measures that assess emotional functioning, eating behaviors, and personality traits.  This concludes the in-office portion of the evaluation, and the clinician later reviews medical records again and scores all psychological measures administered.  After scoring, a psychological evaluation profile report is prepared and released to the surgical weight loss center and the patient.  A clinician may choose to follow up with a patient in person or by phone to bring attention to any areas of concern and/or to provide additional information.  However, this is done at the clinician’s discretion or at the request of a patient.