Brain surgery for OCD

An obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that is too severe for psychotherapy and medication may be cured by brain surgery. This is according to a recent study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry.

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In the study, 19 OCD sufferers who underwent a type of psychosurgery called bilateral capsulotomy between 1997 and 2009 were observed. Nearly half of them showed improvement and 15 percent have fully recovered seven years later.

LiveScience reports that psychosurgery—brain surgery for mental disorders—has been performed since the 1930s but has declined during the introduction of psychiatric medications. The new advancements in brain imaging technology, however, have revived the practice by helping doctors select the surgery target more carefully.

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Prior to the recognition of bilateral capsulotomy as a treatment for OCD, doctors have also performed deep brain stimulation. Unlike capsulotomy, which permanently damages brain tissue, deep brain stimulation implant is reversible. However, those who have undergone the procedure face risks of infection and erosion of the device through the skin. It is up to the patients then to choose what type of surgery to undergo since both options are not free of complications.

OCD is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as an anxiety disorder that causes individuals to repeat things over and over in an act to relieve themselves of distress. When their rituals get in the way of daily life, it becomes a compulsion. While normal people repeat or re-check an activity for assurance, OCD sufferers do not have control over what they are doing.

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Dr. Kamal Patel, an internist practicing in Arlington Heights, IL, is an expert in the diagnoses and treatment of adult diseases, like OCD. Follow this Twitter page to keep abreast of the latest happenings in health and medical science.