Surgical treatment of medication-resistant anorexia nervosa

Given the advances experienced in neurosurgical techniques, and because the diagnosis and classification of psychiatric diseases has evolved over the past decades, new experimental treatments are arising to treat a greater number of medication-resistant psychiatric patients. Among psychiatric diseases, anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate, and approximately 20% of patients experience torpid outcomes. For these patients who do not respond to conservative management, deep brain stimulation has arisen as an alternative option, although studies are still scarce. We review the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa, as well as the various neurosurgical treatments that have been performed throughout history. The prospect of current surgical treatments is detailed, as well as the ethical aspects to consider regarding the emergence of these new therapies.