Liver cancer is a common malignancy.Its incidence ranks sixth among malignant tumors,and it is the third most common cause of cancer death worldwide.Extended hepatectomy,hepatectomy following chemotherapy and repeat or staged hepatectomy are being widely used to prolong the survival time of patients with hepatic neoplasms.Although advances in perioperative management and operative techniques have improved the safety and extended the indications for hepatectomy over the past 2 decades,postoperative hepatic failure is still a severe complication which causes perioperative mortality.In this review,current advances in preoperative evaluation of the condition of patients,precise hepatectomy,postoperative assessment of the hepatic function and therapeutic strategies for postoperative hepatic failure are introduced.