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.

You can actually expect to be asked a number of questions during the process of probing your mindset and readiness for the upcoming procedure. In particular, your care team will want to understand whether or not you are anxious or fearful about what lies ahead of you. You might be one of the many patients who experience extreme anxiety at the thought of being put under general sedation. You may fear the loss of control or even not waking up after the operation has come to an end.

Some people also do not like the idea of having no control over who gets to see them unclothed and asleep on a surgical table. The idea of being naked in front of their surgeon may put some people off from the idea of being operated on. Additionally, they are afraid of what strangers will get to see them in this position.

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.

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.

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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