I am pleased to offer bariatric pre-surgical psychological evaluations at New Leaf Institute in Owasso, OK.  Pursuing bariatric surgery is a courageous choice that requires diligence and commitment to one's health before and after surgery.  Individuals who have chosen bariatric surgery undergo a profound process of personal change and growth as they make significant changes to their lifestyle.  A pre-surgical psychological evaluation is, in most cases, a requirement of both one's surgeon and one's insurance company.  The purpose of the evaluation is to assess one's emotional, mental, and physical preparedness for a life-changing surgery. 

The evaluation's goal is to promote 1) patient safety 2) patient success, and 3) to assess whether bariatric surgery is the right solution for an individual at the right time.  The evaluation plays a key role in identifying potential post-surgical pitfalls and potential interpersonal and emotional challenges that may arise.  The results of the evaluation, which will be shared in a summary letter to your referring physician, will faciliate better communication between you and your treatment team and will identify any recommendations for pre- or post-psychological support that may be helpful after surgery.  You will be informed of the results of your evaluation by mail or at a feedback session in my office.  I may require you to attend additional appointments to complete the evaluation.  Completing the evaluation process does not guarantee that you will receive psychological recommendation for surgery.  I may recommend non-surgical interventions to you and your surgeon if your evaluation results indicate a non-surgical plan is the safest approach for weight loss. 

Before your evaluation:

1.  On this website, please click on the helpful forms link and download, print, and complete the service agreement, and HIPAA authorization form.  Please bring these forms to your appointment.  Please read my service agreeement carefully and initial and sign where indicated throughout the document.
2.  Please arrive 15 minutes early for your appointment so that you can complete any remaining paperwork.  It is important that you arrive early so that we can start on time.  If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may have to reschedule your appointment or you may have to attend two evaluation sessions.

What to expect during your evaluation:

The office visit for evaluation takes about 2 hours. 

1.  First, I will conduct a 60 minute clinical interview.  During this clinical interview, I will ask you about your decision to have bariatric surgery and the aspects of your pre-surgical preparation, and I will obtain a thorough psycho-social history.  We will discuss a variety of topics.  Please scroll down on click on ASMBS links below for further reading about life after bariatric surgery.
2.  Second, you will complete objective psychological testing using a computer.  You will be given tests that have been specifically designed and normed using individuals who are also bariatric pre-surgical candidates.  These tests will provide objective information to help validate what I learned about you in your interview.  This second part of the evaluation can take up to 75 minutes.  Please bring reading glasses if necessary.
3.  After the office visit, I will write a comprehensive evaluation report which will I will keep in your medical record.  I will write a summary letter detailing my recommendations regarding surgery to your surgeon.  If the surgeon requests a copy of the full report, I will provide that to your surgeon.

Please visit the following webpages on the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery prior to your evaluation to better inform you about living life with a bariatric stomach:

https://asmbs.org/patients/life-after-bariatric-surgery

https://asmbs.org/patients/bariatric-surgery-misconceptions

I look forward to providing your evaluation, which is an important component of weight loss surgery.