# Psychosurgery

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 5, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277 "2003-03-05T17:09:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277/1 "2003-03-05T17:09:06Z")

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I was reading something the other day that kept mentioning “psychosurgery”. Can someone tell me what it is? I was thinking lobotomy or something, but I’d like to know specifically.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277/2 "2003-03-05T17:14:07Z")

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Searched Yahoo! for “psychosurgery,” this was the first link:

> **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)**
>
> Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo!

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**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277/3 "2003-03-05T17:16:38Z")

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Well, lobotomy is a type of psychosurgery, but there are others.

Lobotomy is not typically used anymore - now the surgries are far more precise - sometimes done with laser technology. This does not imply that they are any less controversial. Many physicians believe that modern psychosurgery is just as barbaric and unfounded in science as trepanning. However, others feel that for some disorders, psychosurgery can be very helpful.

Eh - your call. You can read a bit more about it [here](http://www.epub.org.br/cm/n02/historia/psicocirg_i.htm#whatis).

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/psychosurgery/159277/4 "2003-03-05T18:23:12Z")

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“Psychosurgery” sounds a bit odd and incorrect, operating on a non-physical thing. It should probably be neurosurgery if it’s referring to lobotomies and related surgeries. Are you sure it wasn’t referring to so-called “psychic surgery” where charlitans simulate surgery like tumor removal with bare hands and no incision.