Going Through Psychological Assessments For Spinal Stimulation Surgery

By Joseph Cooper


Many doctors require patients to be in good overall health prior to undergoing any kind of operation. Along with being physically healthy, they also typically must be of sound mind in order to understand what will happen to them both during and after the operation. When you plan on going through an operation on your back, you may need to first undergo thorough psychological assessments for spinal stimulation surgery. You can prepare for this examination by understanding of what it will consist.

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 anxieties may also stem from not knowing who will be in the room with you while you are asleep. You know your surgeon and nurses will be in there. However, there could be dozens of others coming and going during the procedure. The idea of people you do not know seeing you in a vulnerable state might worry you.

Yet another aspect of this assessment will delve into your readiness to be an active part of your own recovery at home. During the time you are in the hospital, you will be at the whims of your nurses and doctors. You will not have much choice but to follow along with whatever they tell you to do. When you are at home, however, it will be up to you to follow your doctor's orders. Your care team will need to understand your willingness to do what is asked of you while you recuperate.

At the same time, the examination will delve into how realistic people are about what will actually happen to them during and after the operation. For some people, the hope of being totally cured is too tempting to resist. They have to be corrected and told the likelihood of what will occur once they are sent home.

You yourself might find yourself corrected by your surgical team. You may have every hope the procedure will cure you of whatever ails you. However, your team may advise you that the procedure is only part of the process of getting better. Being corrected could be a part of your assessment.

Likewise, depending on your mental readiness, the team in charge of your care may decide that you would do well to take certain medications to keep you calm and focused. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medicines might become a regimented aspect of your care. They will allay your worries and also put you in the right mindset.

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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