In a prospective longitudinal design, we studied all children referred to the Dutch Collaborative Epilepsy Surgery Programme (DuCESP) between 1996 and 2001. Some 40 patients per year were referred all over the country. After careful screening, about 10-15 children per year can be operated. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provided the framework for studying health-related consequences of epilepsy surgery (WHO, 2002). The ICF distinguishes three levels of human functioning, i.e., body function and structure, activities and participation in social life, and by defining disability at each level, as impairment, activity limitation or participation restriction. Covering the period from prior to epilepsy surgery up to two years after the operation, our study focuses on 1) Impairments: measured as change in seizure frequency and severity, and effects on muscle strength, range of motion and muscle tone, 2) Limitations in activities, assessed in terms of motor functioning and self-care, mobility and social function. 3) For the level of participation, epilepsy-related restrictions were assessed. In addition we measured the course of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and self-perceived competence. In fact, we followed two groups. One comprised 52 children who underwent epilepsy surgery between 1996 and 2001 at the Wilhelmina University Children’s Hospital. The other group consisted of 45 children who were not eligible for epilepsy surgery between 1996 and 2001. In children after epilepsy surgery a considerable seizure reduction was found, 72% were free of seizures. The score on seizure severity showed an almost maximum improvement immediately after surgery and remained so for the subsequent 2 years. Motor impairments: after hemispherectomy, muscle strength and muscle tone on the side of the body contralateral to the hemispherectomy, decreased in the first six months after surgery, but returned to pre-surgical baseline thereafter, except for the distal part of the arm. Motor ...