Information regarding Psychological Testing for the Lap-Band Procedure

By Pilar Jacobson, Ph.D.

Q. Why do I have to have a psychological evaluation?

Your insurance company requires the evaluation to make sure you are informed and emotionally prepared not only for the surgery, but for the dramatic changes you may experience after. The patient must be prepared to utilize the tool surgery provides them. A psychological evaluation can also assist in determining not only what an individual may need to help them be successful, but what personality strengths they possess that can be helpful.

Q. What is involved in a psych. eval?

An in depth interview and a paper and pencil psychological test is administered at the office. The tests help psychologists learn a lot about a person in a brief time period. Tests supplement the interview. I use a test that is specific for bariatric patients.

Q. How much time is involved in the evaluation and what will my insurance cover?

5 total hours: Up to 3 hours of time with the patient (1 to 2 hours for the clinical interview; 45 minutes for the test) and the remainder of the time is spent scoring and interpreting the psychological test, and writing up the Psychological Report.

Most insurance plans cover Psychological Testing/evaluation. Some require pre-authorization for services. I participate in many plans including: Cigna, BCBS PPO plans, UHC, and in the near future Aetna. I am happy to provide a referral to another Psychologist if I am not a provider for your plan.

I would be delighted to answer any other questions you have regarding the testing process.

I didn't go through a pysch test prior to the surgery; however, I can certainly see the value in doing one looking backwards. The weight loss process for people who are morbidly obese is very different from the typical dieter. There is a lot of self loathing you don't even know is there.

I highly recommend support groups to deal with it after surgery. If you don't have banded friends to talk to the process could be isolating. Sure on the outside it is very liberating, but as Jen often said in the group, you have got to get your head around it and in the game. I never understood that until I needed to get back in the game.

Question, what sort of tests do they normally do? Is it a personality type test or something? Just thinking about how many of us would lie on a food journal I am wondering what sort of tests they use to move past that.

The psychological test used in the pre-surgical evaluation is a personality test. It was orginally normed using a general medical population but within the past year, was re-normed on over 700 bariatric surgical patients.

The test is useful but I place more emphasis on the clinical interview.