What is a Lobotomy?
A lobotomy is a surgical procedure which involves removing or damaging parts of the frontal cortex. Lobotomies were historically used to treat patients with psychological illnesses and behavioral disorders; in the 1950s, they were largely phased out and replaced with medications, talk therapy, and other forms of treatment. As a general rule, lobotomies are not performed today, and many people think that they are actually quite barbaric. When performed successfully, a lobotomy could result in significant behavioral changes for the patient. For psychotic patients, lobotomies were sometimes beneficial, calming the patient so that he or she could live a relatively normal life. Lobotomies are also famous for causing a flat affect and general decreased responsiveness; this was viewed as a benefit of the lobotomy historically by some advocates of the procedure. However, lobotomies can also go very wrong. The brain is an extremely delicate and very complex organ, and in the era when lobotomies
