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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Trichotillomania
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Trichotillomania
by sinnequan, Oct 22, 1999 12:00AM
Hello.
I am a 27 year old female who has suffered severe Trichotillomania and OCD for over 10 years. All medications and forms of therapy have been exhausted. I am now working to get placed on a list to have a Cingulotomy... My question is-- How successful is the surgery in treating OCD? and more importantly, what can a person expect immediately after the operation.... (w/ gamma knives)... My psychiatrist seems to think it is a REAL option at this time... I just don't know anyone else who has had one... and don't know what recovery time is....
Why isn't more written about this procedure?
Thank you,
Misti
sylvia_plaths_melancholia***@****
I am a 27 year old female who has suffered severe Trichotillomania and OCD for over 10 years. All medications and forms of therapy have been exhausted. I am now working to get placed on a list to have a Cingulotomy... My question is-- How successful is the surgery in treating OCD? and more importantly, what can a person expect immediately after the operation.... (w/ gamma knives)... My psychiatrist seems to think it is a REAL option at this time... I just don't know anyone else who has had one... and don't know what recovery time is....
Why isn't more written about this procedure?
Thank you,
Misti
sylvia_plaths_melancholia***@****
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS.MD-AJ, Oct 25, 1999 12:00AM
Misti,
It is unfortunate that your trichotillomania and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) has not responded to standard forms of treatment, such as medications and behavioral therapy. Severe treatment-resistant cases of OCD may be treated with psychosurgery, the most common procedure being cingulotomy, which is succesful in about 25-30% of such cases. The most common complication of psychosurgery is the development of seizures, which may be controlled by anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin).Some patients who do not respond to psychosurgery, and who did not respond to medications or behavior therapy before the operation may respond to medications or behavior therapy after psychosurgery. I urge you to discuss your concerns further with your treating physician/psychiatrist.
It is unfortunate that your trichotillomania and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) has not responded to standard forms of treatment, such as medications and behavioral therapy. Severe treatment-resistant cases of OCD may be treated with psychosurgery, the most common procedure being cingulotomy, which is succesful in about 25-30% of such cases. The most common complication of psychosurgery is the development of seizures, which may be controlled by anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin).Some patients who do not respond to psychosurgery, and who did not respond to medications or behavior therapy before the operation may respond to medications or behavior therapy after psychosurgery. I urge you to discuss your concerns further with your treating physician/psychiatrist.
