Purpose: To perform neuropsychological and quality of life assessments before and after epilepsy surgery in children; to correlate these parameters with clinical findings. Method: Nine children with refractory epilepsy were evaluated before and six months after the surgical treatment with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and quality of life questionnaire. Children had variable etiologies and surgical procedures. Results: IQ changes did not occur; two children with temporal lobe epilepsy due to tumor had important behavior impairment after surgery despite complete seizure control; best neuropsychological improvement was seen in the child who had Rasmussen's encephalitis and underwent hemispherectomy. Social aspects, drug side effects, seizure perception and the overall level of quality of life improved after surgery. 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