Bariatric surgery helps thousands of people each year with numerous health benefits. While most people recognize it as a weight loss surgery, it can also resolve obesity-related conditions, improve mobility, and offer individuals an overall better quality of life.

However, it’s not a quick and simple surgery that allows you to return to your normal lifestyle within days. In fact, that’s part of the entire point of the surgery — there are lifestyle changes you’ll need to make permanent. There are also plenty of risks involved in the procedure itself.

Simply put, bariatric surgery can be a major life-changing event. As a result, many physicians require their patients to undergo a pre-bariatric surgery psych eval. But what does that evaluation entail, and what is it for? Let’s take a closer look at the purpose of a pre-bariatric surgery psych eval so you’ll know what to expect before you take one of your own.

Assessing Psychological Readiness

The main goal of a pre-bariatric surgery psych eval is to determine a person’s psychological readiness for the procedure. It helps to ensure that you know what to expect, including the potential risks that come with surgery and the lifestyle changes you’ll likely have to make as you go forward.

This kind of evaluation will also help to ensure you have realistic expectations about the surgery. It’s not uncommon for some people to think that bariatric surgery will be a quick fix on their weight loss journey, but it will completely change the way you live your life.

That’s why the eval will also ask you what your motivations are for having the surgery. These questions will help your doctor better understand if you’re ready for the procedure and if you’ll adhere to medical recommendations before and after surgery.

Uncovering Psychological Factors

A pre-bariatric psych eval will also dig a bit deeper into your mental health history. You’ll be asked to disclose past or current mental health conditions, including depression or anxiety. Those things don’t necessarily mean you’re not ready for the surgery. However, they will give your doctor something to consider and perhaps trigger some follow-up questions for clarity.

Understanding your eating behaviors is also an important part of this evaluation. It’s essential to follow certain eating patterns after surgery. If you have an unhealthy relationship with food or patterns that could be harmful, those things need to be addressed.

The evaluation will also assess the support system you currently have in your life. Having people around to build you up and help you both practically and emotionally after your surgery is extremely important. Isolation can be damaging to your mental health and recovery.

Long-Term Success

In addition to wanting to ensure you’re ready for the procedure itself, a pre-bariatric surgery psych eval aims to ensure you will achieve long-term success.

It will help you and your doctor address potential psychological barriers that might hold you back from that success. If there are any potential barriers, they can be addressed right away, and you might even be able to get a recommendation for professional mental health help before and after surgery. Preparing for the changes that are to come is essential for success, and a mental health professional can make that transition easier.

There’s nothing to be scared of when it comes to this kind of evaluation. You and your doctor want the same thing — for the surgery to be successful. Taking the proper precautions ahead of time can help to ensure that.

If you have more questions about a pre-bariatric surgery psych eval or your doctor has recommended one, feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment soon.

Thousands of bariatric weight loss surgeries are performed in the United States each year. Most people have a basic understanding of what the surgery does, but before you actually go through it yourself, you’ll work with a medical staff that wants to make sure you know every detail of what to expect.

That includes what the procedure looks like, of course. It also includes what you might expect in the days, weeks, months, and even years following the surgery. However, the medical evaluations for a bariatric surgery typically go beyond what to expect physically. This kind of surgery can be life-changing, and while that’s often a good thing, it’s still an adjustment.

So, many doctors include a bariatric psych eval as part of their standard screening process for weight loss surgery. But what is a bariatric psych eval, and what can you expect from it?

What’s the Purpose of a Bariatric Psych Eval?

This evaluation is done before a bariatric surgery for several reasons. First, it assesses a person’s readiness. Bariatric surgery isn’t a quick fix when it comes to weight loss. Again, it’s a major, life-changing surgery that requires some lifestyle changes and could potentially create challenges. Making sure a person is absolutely ready for those changes is essential.

An eval can also help to identify any potential issues, including psychological factors that could make the “normal” post-surgery challenges even more difficult. The goal of bariatric surgery is long-term weight loss and a healthier lifestyle. Things like mental health issues or unhealthy eating habits could make that goal more difficult to achieve. So, it’s important for medical professionals to recognize that ahead of time.

If a person is dealing with mental health challenges, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t qualified for the surgery. An evaluation can lead to that individual getting the help they need before and after surgery to ensure the goals are met, and their focus is on their mental and physical well-being.

What Can You Expect?

There are a few stages to a bariatric psych eval. Your doctor will want to know about your mental health history. If there is a history of anxiety, depression, or any other issues, it’s important to be upfront or have your doctor refer to your medical records if you’ve received treatment in the past.

The majority of the evaluation will be a clinical interview. You’ll be asked about your motivation for wanting the surgery, and your doctor will talk to you about the potential risks, challenges, and what to expect in the future. They will want to make sure you understand the importance of realistic expectations about the surgery and results.

Your doctor will also likely want to know more about your eating behaviors and relationship with food. If there are any unhealthy eating patterns or signs of disordered eating, it can help them better understand your motivation, and they might encourage you to get the help you need with those patterns before performing the surgery.

You might also be asked about your support system. It’s important to have people in your corner before and after surgery who can help you adjust to your lifestyle changes.

There might also be certain questionnaires to fill out in a bariatric psych eval. These can help to gauge everything from your eating behaviors and attitudes to your personality traits and emotional state.

Digging Deeper Into a Bariatric Psych Eval

If you still have questions about a bariatric psych eval or are ready to undergo medical weight loss treatment yourself, feel free to reach out for more information or set up an appointment soon. This surgery can change your life for the better, so let’s make sure you’re starting the process on the right foot.