Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental illness characterized by obsessions (recurring intrusive thoughts or images that cause anxiety) and/or compulsions (repetitive behavioural or mental rituals done in response to obsessions). For people living with OCD, the symptoms are very distressing and can take up many hours of the day, especially with severe OCD, which can prevent them from working or even caring for themselves.

Specialized therapy or medications can improve the symptoms of OCD. However, some people with OCD try many different types and combinations of these treatments with no meaningful improvement; this is considered treatment-refractory OCD. Neurosurgery (brain surgery) may be an option for people who have severe, treatment-refractory OCD. These surgeries are usually invasive (involve opening the skull) and can either ablate (destroy) or use electrical impulses to interrupt the brain circuits associated with OCD symptoms. Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a technology that can be used to perform noninvasive (incisionless) neurosurgery for people with severe, treatment-refractory OCD and avoids the surgical risks of invasive procedures.

This health technology assessment looked at how safe and effective MRgFUS neurosurgery is for people with treatment-refractory OCD. It also looked at the budget impact of publicly funding MRgFUS neurosurgery and the experiences, preferences, and values of people with treatment-refractory OCD.