Cingulotomy Guide: Purpose, Procedure and Possible Complications
A cingulotomy, also referred to as a bilateral cingulotomy, is a surgical procedure in which the anterior corpus callosum and cingulate gyrus’ white matter and cortex undergo electrolytic destruction. It is a form of psychosurgery that was introduced to replace the lobotomy procedure. It is most commonly performed to help treat mental illnesses that tend to be resistant to treatments.
Purpose of This Procedure
This surgical procedure is performed to treat mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and major depression. It it also sometimes used in the treatment of chronic pain. This procedure is only performed on those who suffer from chronic, severe, disabling mental illnesses that have not responded to traditional methods such as behavioral therapy and medications. This procedure is rarely used to treat chronic, severe and debilitating pain. When it is used for this, it is the absolute last resort.
Procedure Description
Patients undergoing a cingulotomy will first have several x-rays and CT scans taken of their brain so that their surgeon can identify exactly which area he or she needs to work on. Next, the patient will be taken into the operating room and given anesthesia. Once this is done the surgeon will carefully guide a gamma knife or electrode to the target area through the use of a specific process called stereostatic magnetic resonance imaging. About a half an inch incision is then burn or cut when the lesion is created. The lesions that are made are the purpose of the procedure because depending on the location of the lesions, they help to treat certain mental illnesses or chronic pain.
Possible Complications
Since this is a surgical procedure complications can occur. Most patients will experience some post-operative effects and these are fairly common. These can include, but are not limited to, vomiting, nausea and headaches. A more serious side effect is seizures. Patients who experience seizures tend to experience them up to two months after having this surgical procedure. Other reported complications include apathy and memory deficits, urinary disturbances such as urinary incontinence and urinary retention, and hydrocephalus.
Outcome
Patients who have gone through this procedure typically recover over a four-day period in the hospital. In some cases, patients are deemed recovered in less than four days and released from the hospital early. Of the patients who had this surgery for obsessive-compulsive disorder about 32 percent reported a marked improvement and 14 percent reported some improvement. Of patients who had this procedure for chronic pain about 72 percent reported promising results and approximately 50 percent stated that they no longer needed to take painkillers for their pain.
Resources
Read, K., & Purse, M. (2006). Bilateral Cingulotomy. Retrieved on August 25, 2009 from Website: https://bipolar.about.com/od/treatment/a/bilcingulotomy.htm