On this episode of Our American Stories in the mid- th century families desperate for answers turned to a radical procedure known as the lobotomy It was sold as a cure for everything from depression to schizophrenia but its brutal methods left thousands of patients permanently damaged At the center was Dr Walter Freeman a man whose name became synonymous with transorbital lobotomy and the dark side of psychosurgery Yet from these failures came progress The shortcomings of lobotomy forced doctors and scientists to pursue safer more effective ways to treat mental illness ultimately laying the groundwork for modern brain [... more]

The story of the frontal lobotomy, a surgery that was once widely used to treat psychiatric illness, but had a horrific impact on many patients, including Rosemary Kennedy. Despite its flaws, the procedure led to the development of new techniques in neurosurgery and modern brain surgery. [... more]

The story of the lobotomy, a radical procedure developed in the 1940s to treat mental illness, is explored in this episode. The procedure, which involved severing connections between the frontal and thalamus lobes of the brain, was performed on thousands of patients, with mixed results. While some patients showed improvement, many were severely damaged, and the procedure ultimately led to the development of modern neurosurgical techniques. [... more]

Dr. Theodore Schwartz shares his experiences as a brain surgeon, discussing the intricacies of neurosurgery, the history of lobotomies, and the latest advancements in brain-computer interfaces. He also delves into the human experience, exploring the nature of consciousness and the self, and how our brains shape our identities. [... more]

A neurosurgeon shares his personal experience of losing a son and how he found hope and healing through his faith and a treatment plan for recovering from trauma and tragedy. [... more]