The Role of Psychology

With the major lifestyle changes that occur with gastric bypass surgery, your life will be impacted in many ways including activity level, nutritional intake, energy level, leisure and social activities, and the relationships you have with family and friends. Bariatric surgery has significant psychological and emotional implication. A good outcome following surgery will depend on your ability to adopt and maintain certain lifestyle changes.

As part of your bariatric surgery program, you will meet with a psychologist whose role is evaluation, education, intervention and support. Your first contact will be prior to surgery for a screening to assess and assure you have a full understanding of the impacts of this type of surgery and realistic expectations regarding weight loss. The psychological evaluation will also assess your commitment to making the lifestyle changes that will result from undergoing bariatric surgery. At the end of the assessment the psychologist will make recommendations regarding lifestyle changes and emotional or family issues you might need to address prior to surgery. In such instances, you will be asked to follow up with some additional counseling with a program counselor prior to undergoing the surgery. The purpose is to improve the likelihood of successful surgery outcomes.

The psychologist and counselor involved in the bariatric surgery program have a special interest in the field of chronic medical conditions, including obesity and associated medical complications. They are available as a resource and source of support and are invested in your success following surgery.