Epilepsy, which is a disease caused by various factors, occurs through a complex outbreak process and is characterized by recurring epileptic seizures. More than 30% of patients with epilepsy have intractable epileptic seizures that are not controlled despite treatment with two or more drugs. For such intractable epilepsy, surgery is one of the most effective treatment methods. Offering proper treatments for patients with intractable epilepsy can save both patients and society a tremendous amount in long-term medical costs. Therefore, it is now necessary to analyze the current treatment status of patients in South Korea with intractable epilepsy, and to compare and verify the effects of each treatment method. Moreover, it is also necessary to provide fundamental data and supporting evidence on proper treatment methods.

This study aims to investigate the current treatment status of patients in South Korea with intractable epilepsy and to comparatively analyze the effects of each treatment method. In particular, the present study (1) examines the characteristics of patients in South Korea with epilepsy and intractable epilepsy, (2) compares the effects of the two currently used treatment methods for intractable epilepsy, i.e. surgical and non-surgical (medication only) treatment, (3) and analyzes the cases of patients with intractable epilepsy that have undergone surgery and compares the effects of each surgical method.