Is my patient prepared for weight loss surgery?

Bariatric surgery as a means of weight loss has become increasingly popular over the past decade, so much so that it is now deemed as a medical necessity in most cases of morbid obesity. The FDA is now making the recommendation that weight loss surgery be available to those with a lower BMI (BMI>30). With a potential growing number of these surgeries, there is a significant co-morbidity of psychological factors that need to be assessed and identified before patients can be approved for surgery.

The psychological evaluation of the bariatric surgical candidate is considered to be a most critical and necessary step in the pre-surgical process. Mental health professionals are being sought with increased demand, not only in the evaluation of surgical candidates, but also to treat patients who are not yet deemed ready for surgery. This course is designed to review the process of gastric bypass procedures, and help mental health professionals at all levels become more adept in providing services of assessment and consultation.

Course Content

A. Evaluatie candidates for bariatric surgery
1. Types of Surgical Weight Loss
2.Who qualifies for a bypass?
3.Who gets denied?
4.Reassessment
B. Determine which populations need additional therapeutic work prior to
the surgical process
1. Why perform bypass procedures?
2. Psychological Evaluation
C. Gain a beter understanding of the emotional and psychological risks and
benefits of bariatric surgery for patients with morbid obesity
1. Eating disorders and Bariatric Procedures
2. Prepare for surgery and aftercare
3. Treatment