[Social rehabilitation after epilepsy surgery]. / Réinsertion sociale après chirurgie de l'épilepsie.

No strict relationship has been observed between seizure outcome after surgery and the psychosocial status of patients with refractory epilepsy. The main reason is that seizures are not the sole criteria in evaluating social outcome. The presurgical status in terms of education, the mainly neuropsychological associated handicap, socio-occupational life, and the expectations of the patient must be taken into account. Psychosocial adjustment after surgery needs to be prepared long before surgery, in full cooperation with the patient and his or her family. Standardized tools must be developed to allow for a multidisciplinary approach and an objective evaluation of the psychosocial status of epileptic patients after surgery.