Bariatric Surgery Assessments

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity. The difficulty however, in that some individuals fail

to lose the expected amount of weight, whereas others regain considerable weight within the first few years following surgery. The Federal Food and Drug Administration recognizes that meeting with a psychologist is an important part of the bariatric protocol required in order to ensure that you are a good candidate and will be successful following your procedure.

A bariatric psychological assessment can help reduce treatment failures and improve overall outcomes. While medical adherence is important, the patient’s understanding of how social, emotional, biological, and behavioral factors intervene will be crucial in maintaining a successful outcome. For example, one’s relationship with food will totally change. What you eat, how you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and who you eat with may significant impact your success. Additionally, we tend to have a psychological relationship with food. Eating to excess, then purging or minimizing the sabotaging behaviors is clearly maladaptive.

A psychological consultation usually consists of a one-hour interview and two-three hours of psychological testing held over one or two periods. The provider will then meet with you for feedback and forward the report to your physicians with your written approval.

The doctors at Athans and Associates are also available to offer continued support for as long as it is needed.