We have an experienced psychologist (Dr. Charles Buhrman) available for our patients in our office.  While it is not mandatory that you use him for your pre-op eval, there are several advantages:

1.  His extensive experience enables him to complete most evals in just one session, as opposed to numerous visits required in some programs.

2.  Since he is in our office he gets the evals to us very quickly.

3.  His evals are very reasonably priced and he does participate in most insurance plans.

What can I do to prepare for my eval?

Whether you are using Dr. Buhrman or another mental health professional, in general they looking for a few things.  Most importantly, they want to know that you have researched whatever operation you are looking into and that it is not just a rash decision.  Weight loss surgery is a serious decision and patients should be aware that it requires changes in your lifestyle and diet - these operations are not "magic bullets" to cure obesity.  Use the resources on this web site to help you prepare.   Most importantly, be yourself - do not try to "outsmart" your evaluator!!!  Answer every question truthfully and honestly.

We have two excellent web-based LAP BAND / REALIZE BAND and gastric bypass educational tools.  For the LAP BAND and gastric bypass procedure we have Emmi.  For REALIZE BAND patients we have Realize mySUCCESS.  To maximize your chance of excelling on your eval you can do these tutorials beforehand.  You will be well-prepared if you complete all of the Emmi modules before you have your eval.  You can email Erin ( erin@thebanddoctor.com ) for a logon password for Emmi or send a message to info@thebanddoctor.com for a Realize mySUCCESS login.