Temporal lobe epilepsy presents as simple partial seizures, complex partial seizures, secondary generalized seizures, or a combination of these seizure forms. It often begins in childhood or young adulthood, and some patients have a positive family history. Typical seizures last longer than 1 minute and are often followed by a hazy postictal period with no subsequent recall and gradual recovery. Temporal lobe epilepsy is partly well controlled with appropriate antiepileptic drug treatment according to the type of seizure and can even be discontinued after a period of time; some patients are poorly controlled by medication and develop refractory epilepsy, which may require assistance in surgical treatment. Therefore, not all temporal lobe epilepsy patients are refractory epilepsy. It is recommended that patients with temporal lobe epilepsy should seek medical attention in a timely manner and standardize their medication under the guidance of a physician to avoid developing refractory epilepsy.