Why a Psychological Evaluation is Necessary for Bariatric Surgery

The goal of a pre-surgical psychological evaluation is to determine if the patient has any emotional problems that may be barriers to success. Patients who are not considered psychologically fit to undergo surgery may be advised to undergo psychiatric treatment to address any issues prior to surgery.

Emotional eating

• Emotional eating is a common contributing factor to obesity. Patients who are used to eating to deal with stress or other problems will not be able to do so after weight-loss surgery and must find healthier ways of processing their emotions.

Compulsive behavior

• Compulsive eaters often experience addiction transference, which is where the compulsive eating is turned into another destructive behavior, such as gambling, drinking, compulsive shopping or promiscuity. The pre-surgical psychological evaluation will help determine if the patient has any compulsive tendencies.

Competency

• Roughly 30 percent of bariatric surgery applicants are denied on the grounds that they are not competent enough to understand the risks and requirements of the surgery.

Unresolved emotional issues

• Untreated or under-treated emotional conditions, such as depression or bipolar disorder, can render a patient unfit for the psychological rigors of bariatric surgery.

Ability to handle stress

• Patients who have difficulty dealing with stress may also be denied, as the period following surgery can be extremely stressful and require many diet and lifestyle changes.