WEIGHT & METABOLIC SOLUTIONS AUSTRALIA The Future Is Already Here – To Your Health. Always.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

Why do I need psychological assessment before I get weight loss surgery?

The Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand (OSSANZ), International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity (IFSO) and the

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recommend for patients who are seeking bariatric (i.e. weight-loss) surgery to obtain a psychological evaluation. Your doctor will likely require an evaluation in order to assess if there are any issues that could interfere with the best surgery outcome. Your weight-loss surgery is a life changing decision. Your doctor wants to make sure that you are prepared, sufficiently motivated and able to make the post-operative lifestyle changes necessary to give you the best possible chance of successfully losing weight after the surgery. By completing a psychological assessment, we can help you identify your strengths and areas where you may need additional support in order to ensure that you are emotionally prepared to undergo the procedure as well as to help maintain your weight loss goals. If needed, we may recommend certain types of support or counselling, either before or after the surgery. What does a psychological assessment for weight loss surgery involve?

Prior to your scheduled evaluation appointment, you will be asked to fill out a Bariatric Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation Questionnaire. The form will ask you to provide background information on areas such as eating behaviors, weight loss attempts, and other health-related habits. You will then meet with a psychiatrist who will conduct your evaluation. It will include a 30-45 minutes interview in order to better understand your motivation and expectations for the surgery, gain background information important to the evaluation and will help us assess how we can best help you.

What do I need to do to prepare for psychological evaluation?

We ask that you complete the Bariatric Pre-Surgical Psychological Evaluation Questionnaire and bring the completed form to your scheduled appointment with a psychiatrist. If you forget to bring your form to the appointment, it may be necessary to re-schedule the appointment.

If I have had psychiatric/psychological problems, will that eliminate me from this procedure? Not necessarily. What is important is how you are coping now, and what coping skills you have developed. What if I currently have a psychiatrist or psychologist of my own? Do I still have to see a psychiatrist at the Weight & Metabolic Solutions Australia? Not necessarily. Ask your psychiatrist or psychologist if he/she can provide information to Weight & Metabolic Solutions Australia regarding your psychological diagnosis history and appropriateness for weight loss surgery. Our staff can provide you with a Consultation Request to assist your psychiatrist or psychologist in determining your suitability for surgery.

What happens after the psychological evaluation?

Your psychiatrist will review the results with you and will discuss specific recommendations based on the results. A copy of the evaluation report, including recommendations, will be sent to your surgeon and your GP.

Do you offer any other services besides psychological evaluations?

After your surgery, it is important to have support in maintaining your new lifestyle. This turns out to be a greater challenge than most people realize. Our clinical specialty is relapse prevention. We also offer treatment for mood disorders including depression and anxiety. At the Weight & Metabolic Solutions Australia we offer what we think is the most important part of your treatment: counseling that can aid you prevent weight regain to help you maintain your weight-loss. For more information or to schedule your appointment, please contact us on (07) 3353 9694.