A total of 143 patients who underwent hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in our department were reviewed. The review was conducted for two periods: 1970-1982 (early period) and 1983-1990 (late period), that is, the periods before and after introduction of the hepatic surgical technique involving the use of a microwave tissue coagulator and ultrasonic dissector. One patient underwent extended lobectomy, 12 lobectomy, 9 segmentectomy, and 26 partial hepatectomy during the early period. Two patients underwent extended lobectomy, 7 lobectomy, 9 segmentectomy, 36 subsegmentectomy, and 41 partial hepatectomy during the late period. Operative mortality and hospital mortality were 16.7% and 22.9% during the early period and 1.1% and 8.4% during the late period, respectively. The overall mortality rate was significantly lower during the late period than during the early period. Postoperative complications developed in 62.5% of the patients with hepatic resection during the early period and in 48.4% of the patients during the late period. The size of tumors during the early period was significantly greater than that during the late period. Intraoperative blood loss during the late period was significantly lower than that during the early period. The survival curve was better among patients who underwent hepatic resection during the late period than among those during the early period. The satisfactory results during the late period are due to the introduction of intraoperative ultrasonography, microwave tissue coagulation, and ultrasonic dissection for hepatic surgery.