Going Through Psychological Assessments For Spinal Stimulation Surgery

By Joseph Cooper


Before doctors decide whether or not to operate on patients, they are charged with making sure these people are totally prepared for what lies ahead of them. Part of this process involves delving into the mindsets of patients and ensuring they understand fully what will happen to them both during the operation as well as afterward. As a potential patient yourself, you might face going through one of these examinations. You might want to know what to expect during one of these psychological assessments for spinal stimulation surgery.

The first aspect of the assessment may involve exploring your overall mental readiness for the procedure. Undergoing any kind of medical procedure can be nerve wracking and troublesome. However, some patients experience extreme anxiety about the thought of being put under general anesthesia or allowing someone to have total control over their bodies. Your doctor will want to determine if you have this level of anxiety so he or she can allay your fears prior to being admitted to the hospital.

Some of your fears may come from the simple fact of not knowing what will go on when you are asleep. You fear not knowing what parts of your body will be cut open and who will be in the operating room while you are under anesthesia. Having these concerns addressed could calm most or all of your worries.

Even if patients are mentally ready for the actual procedure, they may not be ready to be an active part in their own recoveries. Once they are out of the hospital, they no longer will have the nurses and doctors to rely on to tell them what to do. They have to do things for themselves, which can be more than some people are ready for after going through a procedure. This assessment will reveal people's willingness to obey doctors' orders.

Your recovery could be negatively impacted by unrealistic expectations you have of the procedure itself. Some people have high hopes for their surgical outcomes. Others expect to be 100 percent totally cured after they get home from the hospital. You will need to inform your doctor of your own expectations for the outcome you envision.

If you harbor unrealistic goals for yourself, your care team will attempt to correct you. They will tell you what is more likely to happen and why your goals may not be realistic at all. Once you are corrected, you will then be assessed again for your readiness to undergo the surgical process.

You can expect this assessment to be done several days if not a week or longer prior to your operation. This timeline will give the surgeon plenty of time to prepare you adequately. He or she may also prescribe medications that could keep you calm and focused during the days and weeks leading up to the appointment.

A psychological evaluation is a routine part of going through surgery. This examination tells doctors about a patient's readiness go undergo the process of being operated on. It also gives the care team or doctors enough time to correct any fallacies and prescribe medications that could facilitate a faster and better recovery time for the patient.




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