Presurgical psychological evaluations
Your surgeon, device program, or transplant team has asked for psychological clearance before the procedure. We evaluate readiness, insight, adherence potential, and the risk factors known to influence outcomes — and deliver a focused written report to your program, on your timeline.
What the evaluation looks at
Programs require this evaluation because psychological factors measurably affect surgical and device outcomes. The assessment is matched to your program's protocol and typically includes a comprehensive clinical interview, targeted records review, standardized measures when indicated, and a written report that answers the questions your program actually asks.
Readiness & expectations
Your understanding of the procedure and what comes after it, the realism of your expectations, and your capacity to give informed consent — the foundation every program wants documented.
Risk factors & contraindications
Active psychiatric symptoms that would need stabilizing first, limited insight, high non-adherence risk, and substance use — identified plainly, with what would resolve them.
Coping & support systems
The resources you'll actually rely on through recovery: coping skills, household support, and the practical plan for the post-procedure regimen your program requires.
From referral to report
Your program's requirements
Send your program's referral form or protocol, your procedure date, and records if you have them. Every program's criteria differ — bariatric, transplant, and device programs each ask different questions — so the evaluation is built to yours.
The evaluation
A comprehensive clinical interview by secure video where your program accepts telehealth, plus records review and standardized measures when the protocol calls for them. Most evaluations are completed in a single visit.
Report to your program
A focused written report with clear findings and recommendations, delivered to your surgeon or program under your release — and if something needs attention before you proceed, it says what, why, and what would resolve it.
Who this evaluation is for
Procedures we evaluate for
These assessments evaluate psychological readiness, identify contraindications — such as uncontrolled severe mental illness, limited insight, or high non-adherence risk — review coping resources and support systems, and examine the factors known to influence surgical or device outcomes.
- Bariatric / metabolic weight-loss surgery
- Spinal cord stimulator (SCS) and other neuromodulation devices, including intrathecal pain pumps and related implants
- Solid organ transplant candidacy — kidney, liver, heart, lung, and others
- Living organ donor psychosocial evaluations (kidney or liver)
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders and select indications
- Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) candidacy
- Cosmetic and aesthetic surgery, particularly procedures involving significant body-image or expectation considerations
- Epilepsy surgery
- Assisted reproductive technology evaluations — egg or sperm donor psychological evaluations and gestational carrier evaluations, aligned with ASRM guidelines
- Selected other procedures, such as hypoglossal nerve stimulators or vagus nerve stimulation, when the program requires it
A few programs' protocols name a licensed psychologist or require specific psychological testing rather than a psychiatric evaluation. Send us your program's form before scheduling and we'll confirm we meet its requirements — and tell you plainly if we don't.
The goal is objective assessment and documentation that supports safe, informed decision-making by your surgical or device program. The evaluation doesn't establish ongoing psychiatric care — and if treatment would help before your procedure, the report says so, and we can discuss it with you separately.
Referrals and self-referrals are both accepted
Your program may refer you directly, or you can contact us yourself once you know clearance is required. Either way, the more we have up front, the faster the evaluation is completed and the more precisely the report answers your program's questions.
Not sure whether your program's evaluation is one we provide? Send us the form and ask — we'll tell you plainly, and point you elsewhere if we're not the right fit.
- Your procedure and program — and your surgery or committee date
- The program's referral form, protocol, or evaluation requirements
- Relevant medical and psychiatric records
- Where the report should be sent, and any deadline
Don't have all of it yet? Send what you have — we'll tell you what else the evaluation needs.
How billing works
Some presurgical evaluations are billable to health insurance when the procedure itself is a covered benefit — bariatric and transplant clearances often are. We check your plan first and tell you which situation you're in before you commit. When insurance doesn't apply, the evaluation is private-pay at an hourly rate quoted up front, covering records review, the evaluation, and report writing. Call (888) 730-5220 and we'll sort out which applies to you.
Check my coverage
Common questions about Presurgical evaluations
What is a presurgical psychological evaluation, and why does my surgeon want one?
Do you provide bariatric, transplant, and spinal cord stimulator evaluations?
Will my program accept an evaluation from a psychiatrist?
How soon before surgery should I schedule the evaluation?
Will the report go straight to my surgeon or program?
What happens if the evaluation finds a concern?
Schedule your presurgical evaluation
Tell us your procedure, your program's requirements, and your date. We'll quote the evaluation up front and get the report to your program on time.
Request an appointment