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Bi-Frontal Stereotactic Tractotomy

A follow-up study of its effects on 210 patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Rolf Ström-Olsen  and
Sheila Carlisle
Rolf Ström-Olsen
Affiliation:
Neurosurgical Unit, Brook General Hospital, London, S.E.18; Runwell Hospital, Essex
Sheila Carlisle
Affiliation:
Brook General Hospital
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Extract

Since 1955 there has been a steady decline in the number of leucotomy operations, particularly of the open standard type introduced into this country in 1941. It has been considered by most authors that the undesirable side-effects caused this decline but no doubt the introduction of ataractic drugs also played its part (Pippard, 1962). Sykes and Tredgold (1964) discussed in detail the literature up to that time and it was felt unnecessary to repeat that survey here. Suffice it to say that from about 1949 various modifications of the standard operation were devised in the hope of diminishing or eliminating undesirable sequelae. Following the publication of a paper on the late social results of pre-frontal leucotomy by Ström-Olsen and Tow (1949) the late Alexander Kennedy (1949) wrote in the correspondence column of the Lancet—‘The future of this kind of operation (i.e. standard leucotomy) lies in limited and accurately localized sections. The correlation of these with their clinical and neuropathological effects offers a field of study which will occupy us for many years to come’.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 118 , Issue 543 , February 1971 , pp. 141 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1971 

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