thanks for the responses. im thinking maybe they won't make a comeback. i did some google-ing, and it seems that in places where they still do operations for mental problems, even the best surgeons have some complications one does not see with pills, usually (death, seizures, infection, etc.), so...

it seems semi-popular in parts of China, but I kinda doubt it'll hit it big in the US. it looks like the NHS in Britain pays for a handful every year (not lobotomies). so...there you go. curiosity officially satisfied.