Cosmetic Surgery & Medical Procedure Assessment & Support
People have surgery for various reasons, for example to treat a health problem, rectify a bodily issue or to change their appearance. Whatever the reason for surgery, it is widely recognised that pre and post surgery processes can have a significant impact on psychological wellbeing. Further, research shows that psychological wellbeing can significantly impact surgery outcomes, therefore accessing psychological assessment and support is an essential element of the surgery process.
Surgery not only impacts the body physically, it can also significantly impact how a person feels, their sense of self and their identity. Leading up to an operation it is common for people to feel anxious, worried, stressed or uncertain. Whilst these feelings are fairly normal & common, they can spiral into bigger issues such as extreme anxiety, phobias, panic attacks or low mood. Medical procedure phobias, for example a fear of needles, anaesthesia or treatment processes, are common. Some people may experience low mood or self-esteem issues. This is often the case in those who are considering cosmetic (plastic) surgery, and may even be the driving factor behind their decision for treatment.
Psychological distress can lead to unhelpful behaviours such as avoidance of health appointments, medical procedures or pre and post operative care tasks. This can get in the way of successful treatment, as well as negatively affect health outcomes. Because of the impact on pre-operative preparation and post-operative recovery and outcomes, assessment and treatment for psychological distress is an important element of the surgical process.
Surgical process issues that we support with include:
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Pre-Operative Screening & Assessment
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Cosmetic Surgery Assessment
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Bariatric Surgery Assessment
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Pre-Operative Anxiety Support
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Post-Operative Adjustment Support
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Medical Procedure Anxiety (e.g. needle phobia, anaesthetic phobia)
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Self-Esteem & Body Image Support
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Elective Surgery
Elective surgery is surgery that is scheduled in advance to treat a life-threatening illness or to improve the symptoms of a physical health condition. For many, surgery is an essential & necessary curative part of their treatment. For others, it is one treatment option of many and they may opt to undertake surgery to improve their quality of life, for example bariatric (weight loss) surgery.
There are many uncertainties and risks with surgery and there are no guaranteed outcomes. Surgery also places a significant toll on the body. Psychological assessment involves assessing the persons psychological readiness to undertake surgery through completing a psychological risk assessment. Psychological assessment & support may also involve assessing the factors that may have made the patient more vulnerable to developing psychological distress related to surgery or other medical procedures, as well as assessing the factors that may be triggering or maintaining distress. Psychological intervention and support aids with tackling these identified factors, providing a reflective and emotional processing space alongside a skills-building space to tackle the identified barriers to surgery, increase readiness for procedures and maximise post-operative processes.
Cosmetic (Plastic) Surgery
Cosmetic surgery is surgery that seeks to revise or change the appearance, structure or position of bodily features, typically to achieve a more desirable appearance. The pre and post operative processes of cosmetic surgery place a significant toll on the body. The recovery period can be long and slow, and results may not be noticeable for some time. Further, the results may not match up with expectations or may affect the way one feels about their body, identity and sense of self. This is because physical appearance is closely linked to identity, self-esteem and psychological wellbeing.
It is therefore best practice before undertaking cosmetic surgery to undertake pre-operative screening, including undertaking a psychological risk assessment. This process can identify any pre-existing mental health issues that may affect pre and post operative processes and outcomes as well as aid with understanding the patients motivations, reasons and drivers for undertaking cosmetic surgery. It can also help both the patient and the surgeon to be confident that the patients reasons for seeking cosmetic surgery are in their best interests and reflect the right decision for them.
Pre-operative psychological support for cosmetic surgery involves providing a reflective space to talk through any thoughts or feelings about undertaking the procedure or the processes surrounding it and developing coping skills. Psychological support and intervention can also aid with addressing self-esteem and body issues.
Our team of highly specialist clinical health psychologists have extensive experience providing psychological assessment and intervention to patients in both NHS and private physical health teams. They understand the impact of living with a health condition and living with body and self-esteem issues. They also understand the processes surrounding surgery and the psychological impact that surgery & other medical procedures can have on a person.
The team endeavour to provide compassionate and non-judgmental support within a safe, warm and empathic space:
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