Lobotomy - Featured writers (1)
Lobotomy
When we look at the history we always found that mental illnesses have always been a complex issue, and in some wealthy families they were seen as a stigma for family. Retrospectively every psychologist tried to deduce the core causes or figure out how mental illnesses emerge, and what background or life situations are most commonly associated with them. And There was Egas moniz who appeared with an innovation called lobotomy which he defined as ‘’eternal happiness’’, but it soon became evident that it was a humanitarian disaster.
What is lobotomy ?
It started as a therapeutic intervention but it ended up being of the most controversial and destructive medical treatments of the 20th century, the Lobotomy, which is also known as prefrontal lobotomy. was a surgical procedure used in the mid-20th century to treat certain psychiatric disorders. This operation consisted of splitting the white fibers in the frontal lobes, in an endeavor to modify undesirable behaviors.
How was the Lobotomy performed?
small holes were drilled on both sides of the skull to access the frontal lobe, and then a tool called a Leucotome, a sharp needle with a retractable wire, was used to sever neural fibers connecting the frontal lobe to the rest of the brain. Sometimes, a surgical knife or a thin metal wire was used to destroy brain tissue.
Why Was Lobotomy Popular ?
Even with the side effects of it that included apathy, abrupt personality changes, and cognitive impairment, lobotomy was widely recognized, and even president John F. Kennedy’s sister, Rosemary, underwent the procedure, which left her unable to walk or speak, and with the mind of a 2 years old. But why was the process still famous?
Perhaps because it was seen as a drastic solution for patients who did not respond to conventional psychiatric treatment, or maybe because the stigma and reputation about mental illnesses was more important than seeing the negative side of the experience, or it could be the influence of James watts and Walter freeman, two American doctors who played a major role in introducing and popularizing lobotomy in the United States. In 1936 they performed the first prefrontal lobotomy there.
Who invented the lobotomy ?
It all started in 1935 when neurophysiologist named António Egas Moniz proved unexpected research, when he removed the frontal lobes of two chimps he found that they no longer experience frustration or anxiety anymore but at the cost of some cognitive function. Regardless of this, his research associates noted, and commented “it was as if they’d joined a “happiness cult”. And that’s when the Portuguese neurologist António Egas Moniz invented the catastrophic medical procedure of lobotomy, because he believed that replacing this procedure in humans with small sacrifices could cure mental illness, which in his perspective that the symptoms of what we call now depression,OCD, and bipolar disorder, stemmed from negative ideas getting fixed in the neural fibers which connect different parts of the brain specifically the thalamus and frontal lobes which regulate emotions and sensations and he proposed that severing these fibers he could remove the associated conditions. to confirm its effectiveness he lobotomized 38 individuals with different mental health disorders and when he saw a calm behavior in one patient he took it as a sign of recovery he ensured the success of the procedure, and he was awarded with the Nobel prize.
What does James and Walter have to do with lobotomy ?
Except for the fact that they were the ones who brought it to the U.S. and were the first to perform it . Freeman was particularly excited about the procedure and how to make it more accessible and efficient, and in 1946 he developed the Transorbital lobotomy, which was even more destructive.
How Did the Transorbital Lobotomy Cause Harm ?
In the beginning the lobotomy was more precise, but it required a team of surgeons, specialized equipment, and time, making it out of reach for most patients.That was until freeman developed a simpler and cheaper alternative called Transorbital Lobotomy, which was performed by physicians, During the procedure, the patient was handled with an ice pick-like instrument, which was pushed through the thin bone of the eye socket and manipulated to sever the fibers between the thalamus and frontal lobes in ten minutes. But watts later distanced himself from it due to the ethical concerns and Freeman’s reckless approach. Despite growing criticism, he aggressively promoted lobotomy, performing thousands of procedures across the country and even traveling with his “lobotomobile” to perform operations in psychiatric hospitals.
Was the eye affected by Transorbital technique ?
Yes, because the procedure involved forcing a sharp instrument through the eye socket, which could cause damage to the optic nerve, bleeding, or infection. Some patients suffered permanent eye injuries, and in some cases, vision problems or even blindness.
How successful was the operation for the patients?
The success of lobotomy is highly debated. Some patients showed brief improvements, such as reduced aggression, anxiety, or hallucinations, making the procedure seem effective at that time. Even in cases where lobotomy ‘worked’ by reducing severe mental illness symptoms, it often left the patients permanently changed, sometimes behaving like an emotionless robots rather than a fully functioning individuals.
Did it have an impact on their behavior?
Many patient lost their personality, emotions, and cognitive abilities, turning into apathetic individuals with little motivation or expression. Others experienced severe complications, including seizures, infections, and even death.
Did it result in a higher rate of early deaths?
Yes, the procedure itself was dangerous, leading to hemorrhages, infections, and brain damage. The early version of the procedure required trephination (drilling a hole in the skull), which increased the risk of complications and fatal infections. and In many cases, the hole in the skull was covered but not perfectly sealed, leaving patients vulnerable to brain infections. Later, with the transorbital lobotomy, the risk of infection remained high, especially because the procedure was often performed without proper sterilization.
Conclusion
The history of lobotomy serves as an important lesson in medical ethics and psychiatric treatment. It highlights the necessity of thorough evaluation and clinical trials to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical interventions before they are widely implemented.
References
1. PMC. (2013). The History and Ethics of Lobotomy. Retrieved from
2. PubMed. (2019). The Evolution of Psychosurgical Procedures: Lobotomy and Beyond. Retrieved from
3. TED-Ed. (2016). One of the Most Controversial Medical Procedures in History. Retrieved from
4. YouTube. (2020). Lobotomy: A Deep Dive into Its History. Retrieved from
5. YouTube. (2018). The Dangers of Lobotomy: A Historical Overview. Retrieved from
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