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Which countries still perform psychosurgeries like lobotomy or deep brain stimulation in 2025?
Executive summary
Modern "lobotomy" (classic prefrontal leucotomy/transorbital procedures) is effectively abandoned in high-income countries and described in historical terms; contemporary psychosurgery instead uses targeted ablative procedures and deep brain stimulation (DBS), which are available in many countries — DBS is a growing, global market and is widely used for Parkinson’s and increasingly for psychiatric indications [1] [2]. Detailed country-by-country lists are not comprehensively given in the supplied reporting; available sources note ongoing psychosurgical activity in places including Belgium, parts of Europe, China, India and many countries offering DBS, but they do not provide a definitive 2025 roster of every country performing these procedures [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. Old lobotomy is history; "neurosurgery for mental disorders" is what clinicians now mean
Historic lobotomy — the broad, non‑stereotactic frontal leucotomy or transorbital ice‑pick style operations — fell out of mainstream practice from the 1950s onward and are treated today as discredited historical practice [1] [7]. Contemporary practice uses stereotactic, highly localised lesions or implantable neuromodulation devices; patient‑facing groups and charities explicitly distinguish modern NMD (neurosurgery for mental disorder) from the old lobotomy [8] [9].
2. Ablative psychosurgery still exists in a few centres, mostly for intractable OCD and depression
Several European countries are cited in the reporting as still performing ablative psychosurgeries (capsulotomy, cingulotomy and related stereotactic lesions) in small numbers — for example Belgium had one centre doing about 8–9 operations a year (some capsulotomies and some DBS) since 2000, Spain performed a couple of dozen psychosurgical procedures per year in the early 2000s, and the UK retained two centres into the 2000s doing selected capsulotomies and cingulotomies [3]. France and other European health authorities have recommended restricted use of ablative techniques for severe OCD in the 2000s, indicating limited, regulated clinical use [3].
3. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is global and expanding — but access is uneven
DBS is an established therapy for Parkinson’s and some epilepsy indications and is increasingly researched and used for neuropsychiatric conditions; market and research reports show DBS device markets and trials across many countries and a rising global industry footprint [2] [10]. Reviews of access in 2025 stress that DBS is resource‑intensive and unequally available — "easily accessible" in roughly one‑third of countries evaluated in one survey, with marked geographic, socioeconomic and demographic disparities [11] [6]. Clinical reports and trials cited in 2025 include work in China, the UK and multi‑national collaborations for psychiatric indications [12] [13].
4. Country examples that appear in the supplied reporting
- Belgium: single centre performing a small number of psychosurgical operations annually, including capsulotomies and DBS, cited in historical/summary reporting [3].
- United Kingdom: historically two centres (Cardiff and Dundee) doing limited stereotactic capsulotomy/cingulotomy and experimental DBS in the 2000s [3].
- Spain and France: documented small numbers of psychosurgical procedures historically and regulatory recommendations in the 2000s for restricted use [3].
- India and China: both have documented histories of extensive psychosurgery in the 20th century; more recent reporting notes continued use of stereotactic capsulotomy/cingulotomy for OCD in Indian centres and concerns about market‑driven expansion in China with variable oversight in past decades [3] [5].
These examples come from summary and historical sources; none provide a complete 2025 country list [3] [5].
5. What the sources do not say — limits of current reporting
None of the supplied items gives a validated, up‑to‑date global directory of every country performing lobotomy‑style procedures or DBS in 2025. Specifically, the sources do not claim that classic lobotomy persists as a standard treatment anywhere today, nor do they enumerate every nation where modern NMD or DBS is available; instead they provide snapshots (market analyses, historical reviews, access studies and selected country examples) that show DBS is widespread but unevenly distributed and that ablative psychosurgery continues, in limited form, in some centres [1] [2] [6] [3].
6. How to get a definitive current list
For a reliable, current roster you would need primary data: national health‑service procedure registries, peer‑reviewed audits, health‑ministry approvals or the WHO Mental Health Atlas country survey (the Atlas 2024 exists but the supplied snippet does not include a procedure‑by‑procedure breakdown) [14]. The Mental Health Atlas and specialised neurosurgical registries are the sources likely to list which countries offer NMD/DBS and under what regulatory frameworks [14].
Conclusion: Classic lobotomy is historically discredited and is not reported as routine anywhere in the supplied sources; modern psychosurgery — narrow ablative procedures and DBS — continues in selected centres across Europe, Asia and other regions, with DBS showing global market growth but notable access inequities. The supplied reporting does not provide a comprehensive 2025 country list; national registries or the WHO Atlas would be the next places to consult for an authoritative, country‑level inventory [1] [3] [2] [14].