Psych Eval?

Did you use a psychologist or psychiatrist that was knowledgeable of weight loss surgery? Did it matter with your approval?

The psych eval was with a psychologist that was part of my Drs. program so they were familiar with WLS. They just gave me a standardized test and we talked about the results. My take was that you would have to have a serious eating disorder or other untreated mental issues to rule you out of the program.

I was giving a list of providers that I could select from. I went with a psychologist .... she asked me lots of questions and then said "I see no reason you should not have the surgery, I will write a approval letter".... it was a short and sweet kind of appointment.

If your surgeon can't recommend someone, you may need to call around.  Not all psychs are willing to do a surgical evaluation. 

My psychologist was recommended by my surgeon's office and was very familiar with this process.  He had me do a personality questionnaire ahead of time and then entered the results into the computer to analyze me in a statistical way.  He then went over the results with me and proceeded to ask questions about myself, my history, and my reasons for surgery. I think it took about 30-45 minutes, not including the time it took to fill out the survey.

They really just want to get a feel for your mental state and make sure you're of sound mind. 

I actually think a psychologist is better suited for this because a psychiatrist in general is going to be more geared toward the medicinal part of mental health, whereas a psychologist is more focused on talking and exploring the use of differing therapies (whether they be psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, etc., or a combination)... With that said, I would certainly hope that psychiatrists would also be able to do a proper analysis needed for approval.  Just make sure that whoever you go to is actually approved by your insurance.

Best of luck to you,

Erika