An evaluation of irreversible psychosurgical treatment of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the Netherlands, 2001-2008

Admissions for irreversible psychosurgical treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) by the Working Group for Indication Psychosurgery in the Netherlands were analyzed, and the postsurgical effects on symptom severity and quality of life were evaluated. The data were extracted from patient records in the period 2001-2008, and there was a postoperative assessment with a semistructured interview. Fourteen patients applied, having severe OCD with mostly one or more comorbid disorders. The mean Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score was 32 points. Four of seven patients in whom psychosurgery was deemed useful were operated on. The decrease of the Y-BOCS score from registration to after surgery was 9 points (range, 3-17 points). An improvement in social function was present in three of four patients. In conclusion, psychosurgery can be a valuable treatment option for patients with severe OCD in whom other treatments fail.