Pre-Surgical Evaluations for Bariatric Surgery and Spinal Cord Stimulator
Dr. Lopez has participated in the administration of many pre-surgical evaluations and received additional training for these types of evaluations during his doctoral internship.
Patients scheduled for surgical procedures such as bariatric surgery or the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator are many times required to undergo a pre-surgical psychological evaluation. Such evaluations are a beneficial prognostic assessment that is used to improve the overall outcome of the surgery.
Many studies indicate that preparing mentally and physically for surgery can help improve recovery periods. The presurgical evaluation can identify strengths that could include health engagement, resilience, pain self-management, social support and assess patient expectations.
The evaluation will help patients identify potential obstacles, the capacity to make decisions, treatment adherence, and coping strategies. The evaluation will also help the medical doctors ensure that the patient is well informed and emotionally prepared for the surgery and the changes that will occur post-surgery.
The evaluation consists of a comprehensive clinical interview with Dr. Lopez to gather information on mental health history, physical history, and psychosocial information. The second part of the evaluation will encompass the administration of paper and pencil psychological tests that will provide valuable information on attitudes and emotions. A psychological report will then be produced that reflects the information gathered during the interview and the results of the standardized psychological tests.
