Editing Psychosurgery (section)

===Effectiveness===
Success rates for anterior capsulotomy, anterior cingulotomy, subcaudate tractotomy, and limbic leucotomy in treating depression and OCD have been reported as between 25 and 70 percent.<ref name="Mashour"/> The quality of outcome data is poor and the Royal College of Psychiatrists in their 2000 report concluded that there were no simple answers to the question of modern psychosurgery's clinical effectiveness; studies suggested improvements in symptoms following surgery but it was impossible to establish the extent to which other factors contributed to this improvement.<ref name="RCPsy"/> Research into the effects of psychosurgery has not been able to overcome a number of methodological problems, including the problems associated with non-standardised diagnoses and outcome measurements, the small numbers treated at any one centre, and [[Publication bias|positive publication bias]]. Controlled studies are very few in number and there have been no placebo-controlled studies. There are no systematic reviews or meta-analyses.<ref name="Mashour"/><ref name="Christmas">{{cite journal | author = Christmas D | year = 2004 | title = Neurosurgery for mental disorder | journal = Advances in Psychiatric Treatment | volume = 10 | issue = 3| pages = 189–99 | doi=10.1192/apt.10.3.189| pmid = 15286074 |display-authors=etal| doi-access = free }}</ref>

Modern techniques have greatly reduced the risks of psychosurgery, although risks of adverse effects still remain. Whilst the risk of death or vascular injury has become extremely small, there remains a risk of seizures, fatigue, and personality changes following operation.<ref name="RCPsy"/>

A 2012 follow-up study of eight depressed patients who underwent anterior capsulotomy in Vancouver, Canada, classified five of them as responders at two to three years after surgery. Results on neuropsychological testing were unchanged or improved, although there were isolated deficits and one patient was left with long-term frontal psychobehavioral changes and fatigue. One patient, aged 75, was left mute and [[Hypokinesia|akinetic]] for a month following surgery and then developed [[dementia]].<ref name="Hurwitz"/>