Hepatobiliary surgery has come a long way since Caprio successfully performed the first lobectomy in 1932. Advances in surgery, anesthesia, intensive care medicine, organ preservation, and immunosuppresion have meant that liver transplantation is now the definitive treatment for end stage liver failure. In the 1960s, Starzl achieved successful human orthotopic liver transplantation, and less than 20 years later, reduced sized grafting was successful. Shortage of available organs has stimulated study of surgical anatomy and anatomical surgery. This has led to auxiliary heterotopic and partial orthotopic liver transplantation. Recently, livers have been split for implantation in more than two recipients from one graft, or to obtain viable transplantation from a living donor. Mutual feedback over the past 70 years, with the integration of conventional surgery and transplantation techniques, has permitted innovation in liver surgery and the possibility of yet further progress.