Complex partial seizures (CPSs) beginning with an initial motionless stare (IMS) have been reported to respond well to temporal lobectomy. CPSs without the IMS or with early lateralizing motor phenomena often persisted after temporal lobectomy. We have studied video-EEG-recorded seizures of 18 patients with depth electrodes who then underwent temporal lobectomy. The IMS did not correlate with success or failure of surgery. However, initial head and/or eye deviation was correlated with poor surgical outcome.