Objective　To discuss the diagnosis and surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods　From 1996 to 1998, 36 patients presenting with medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy were identified by EEG and MR, including volumetric MR, for hippocampal formation. Among them, 16 patients underwent anterior temporal lobectomy, while 20 patients accepted selective amygdalohippocampectomy. The results of surgical operation and follow-up are analyzed. Results　With respect to seizure outcome, all patients benefited from surgery. The surgical results were satisfactory in 24 cases, notable in 11 cases, and good in 1 case, and there were no complications. Conclusion　MR is beneficial for the localization of epileptic foci. Surgery is an effective method for the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy; selective amygdalohippocampectomy is the first choice for medial temporal lobe epilepsy. The transzygmatic-temporal lobe base approach presented in this study improved the safety of the surgery.