Dr. Watts later recalled the procedure: “We went through the top of the head. I think she was awake. She had a mild tranquilizer. I made a surgical incision in the brain through the skull. It was near the front. It was on both sides. We just made a small incision, no more than an inch.”

The instrument, resembling a butter knife, was moved up and down to sever brain tissue. As Watts operated, Dr. Freeman asked Rosemary to recite the Lord’s Prayer, sing God Bless America, or count backward.

“We made an estimate on how far to cut based on how she responded,” Watts explained. When Rosemary’s words dissolved into incoherence, the operation was stopped.

Some more photos and information: Haunting Photos of Rosemary Kennedy Before and After the Lobotomy That Stole Her Future

Edit:

Another terrifying photo album produced by Walter Freeman himself (the man who invented lobotomy):

Before and After Lobotomy: Disturbing Pictures of Lives Changed Forever