AIM: To investigate our learning curves of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in rats and the most important factor for successful surgery. METHODS: We describe the surgical procedures for our rat OLT model, and determined the operator learning curves. The various factors that contributed to successful surgery were determined. The most important surgical factors were evaluated between successful and unsuccessful surgeries. RESULTS: Learning curve data indicated that 50 cases were required for operator training to start a study. Operative time, blood loss, warm ischemic time, anhepatic phase, unstable systemic hemodynamic state, and body temperature after surgery significantly affected surgery success by univariate analysis, while the anhepatic phase was the most critical factor for success by multivariate analysis.