Prefrontal and transorbital lobotomy was a commonly used treatment to cure madness during the mid 1900’s. This invasive procedure was tested on as many as 50,000 institutionalized mad patients. This was a desperate procedure, and was only used when all other forms of treatment failed. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding this horrific procedure. Where the cure rates after this procedure were not as high as everyone thought, and the terrible risks that can come from getting a lobotomy. When evaluating patient their employment status played a key factor in whether or not they should have a lobotomy, and in order to determine the success of the operation the patient’s ability to work played a key role. Both prefrontal and transorbital lobotomy
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The returning vets were often diagnosed as being depressives, psychotics and schizophrenics, and were administered brain operating operations. It was believed that these brain surgeries would bring them relief from their mental illness, but at what cost? After a lobotomy was administered patients experienced seizures, loss of motor skills, and even death. This form of treatment was usually used on severly mad patients, who failed to be cured using other forms of treatment (Lobotomy Files, 1). This article also talks about the forgotten lobotomy files revealing the details of the lives that were ruined after the treatment was administered. During and after WWII military hospitals were becoming overcrowded with soldiers with psychiatric wounds. Which caused a desperate attempt to treat these patients, the hospital turned to lobotomy as a form of treatment. Patients who were diagnosed with “shell shock” which would most likely be classified as “PTSD” today were commonly treated with lobotomy (Lobotomy Files, 5). There were many unsettled debates on whether or not lobotomy was an effective cure for madness. Immediately after the war lobotomy was advertised as a miracle cure. Where families gave reports that the patient was doing much better, along with doctors saying that after lobotomies were performed patients became less violent …show more content…
Which led them to recommend the use of lobotomy of mentally ill soldiers who couldn’t be cured with other forms of treatment. This led to around 2,000 vets being treated with lobotomies (Lobotomy Files, 1). Freeman also introduced the use of transorbital lobotomy, urging that this form of lobotomy could be done by psychiatrists who were untrained to perform any type of surgery. To this day Freeman is seen as one of the most controversial figures in American medical history. During this time lobotomies were not entirely accepted by everyone. Many doctors felt more research should be done before cutting into someone’s brain, and many doctors opposed the use of Freeman’s ice pick method. Doctors began reporting that the lobotomies were not as effective form of a treatment as what previously was reported. Where even in patients that improved, there really was hardly an improvement. These subtle improvements didn’t warrant the use of such an invasive treatment. Many doctors objected the use of transorbital lobotomy, and didn’t allow it to be done in their hospitals. Until three years later a hospital wanted to use this form of lobotomy, since it didn’t require a surgeon to perform the operation and it would save the hospital a lot of money (Lobotomy files, 2, 4-5). However, the use of lobotomy began to fade
The returning vets were often diagnosed as being depressives, psychotics and schizophrenics, and were administered brain operating operations. It was believed that these brain surgeries would bring them relief from their mental illness, but at what cost? After a lobotomy was administered patients experienced seizures, loss of motor skills, and even death. This form of treatment was usually used on severly mad patients, who failed to be cured using other forms of treatment (Lobotomy Files, 1). This article also talks about the forgotten lobotomy files revealing the details of the lives that were ruined after the treatment was administered. During and after WWII military hospitals were becoming overcrowded with soldiers with psychiatric wounds. Which caused a desperate attempt to treat these patients, the hospital turned to lobotomy as a form of treatment. Patients who were diagnosed with “shell shock” which would most likely be classified as “PTSD” today were commonly treated with lobotomy (Lobotomy Files, 5). There were many unsettled debates on whether or not lobotomy was an effective cure for madness. Immediately after the war lobotomy was advertised as a miracle cure. Where families gave reports that the patient was doing much better, along with doctors saying that after lobotomies were performed patients became less violent …show more content…
Which led them to recommend the use of lobotomy of mentally ill soldiers who couldn’t be cured with other forms of treatment. This led to around 2,000 vets being treated with lobotomies (Lobotomy Files, 1). Freeman also introduced the use of transorbital lobotomy, urging that this form of lobotomy could be done by psychiatrists who were untrained to perform any type of surgery. To this day Freeman is seen as one of the most controversial figures in American medical history. During this time lobotomies were not entirely accepted by everyone. Many doctors felt more research should be done before cutting into someone’s brain, and many doctors opposed the use of Freeman’s ice pick method. Doctors began reporting that the lobotomies were not as effective form of a treatment as what previously was reported. Where even in patients that improved, there really was hardly an improvement. These subtle improvements didn’t warrant the use of such an invasive treatment. Many doctors objected the use of transorbital lobotomy, and didn’t allow it to be done in their hospitals. Until three years later a hospital wanted to use this form of lobotomy, since it didn’t require a surgeon to perform the operation and it would save the hospital a lot of money (Lobotomy files, 2, 4-5). However, the use of lobotomy began to fade