Anterior cingulotomy for intractable pain

Conservative therapy is often the first-line treatment for many symptoms of various disease processes, including pain. Nevertheless, if pharmacological or medical management fails for those patients with severe and chronic pain, a surgical strategy may be a reasonable option. First performed for psychiatric disorders, cingulotomy now has been recognized as a viable option for the management of pain. The authors review the literature on anterior cingulotomy for intractable pain to provide guidelines for management and expected outcomes.