Bilateral cingulotomy

The bilateral cingulotomy is a modern psychosurgical technique of disabling the cingulate gyrus, a small section of brain that connects the limbic region of the brain with the frontal lobes. It has replaced the lobotomy and is performed to alleviate mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which have not responded to psychotherapy, behavioral therapy , electroshock, or pharmacologic treatment. Bilateral cingulotomies are also performed to treat chronic pain in cancer patients.