ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of the timing of surgery on treating refractory epilepsy caused by cavernomas. Method63 patients with refractory epilepsy caused by intracranial supratentorial cavernomas were retrospectively analyzed on the duration of epilepsy, epileptogenesis sitations, and epileptic seizure types. After resection surgeries of cavernomas, the surgical outcomes were compared between the patients with shorter duration of seizures and the longer ones. ResultThe durations of epilepsy were beteen 3 months and 25 years, median 4.5 years. The temporal epilepsies were 43, frontal 12, parietal 3, occipital 1, cingulate gyrus 1, and multiple lobe 3. The overall ILAE class 1 outcome was 71.4% in 63 patients at 2-year-followup, and ILAE class 1 and 2 outcome was 81.6%. The seizure free rate in the group with epilepsy duration shorter than 5 years was 92.1%, better than the 56.0% in the group with epilepsy duration longer than 5 years. ConclusionOnce the diagnosis of medical refractory epilepsy caused by cavernoma was confirmed, the early surgical operation should be considered seriously.