ObjectiveTo discuss various surgical methods for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis. MethodsThe clinical data of 98 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis treated in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 2004 to 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Palliative surgeries were performed in 9 cases, radical hepatectomies were performed in 69 cases, liver transplantations were performed in 20 cases, in which 12 cases were performed by liver allotransplantation, and 8 cases were performed by liver autotransplantation. ResultsThere was no death case during perioperative period. The rate of postoperative complications of the radical hepatectomy (11.6%, 8/69) was significantly lower than that of the palliative surgery (44.4%, 4/9), which had statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The followup time was from 4 months to 6 years, the average time was 36 months. The postoperative recurrence rate in the radical hepatectomy (1.4%, 1/69) was significantly lower than that in the palliative surgery (55.6%, 5/9), which had statistically significant difference (P<0.05). During follow-up period, the mortality of the palliative surgery (33.33%, 3/9) was also significantly higher than that of the radical hepatectomy (0, 0/69), which had statistically significant difference (P<0.05). Four patients underwent liver transplantation were death within 3 months (20.0%). ConclusionsRadical hepatectomy should be the first choice for alveolar echinococcosis. In this research, although the rates of postoperative complications and recurrence in palliative surgery are higher than those in radical hepatectomy, palliative surgery, for the patients who had lose the opportunity to perform radical hepatectomy, could be used to alleviate symptoms and physical signs, improve quality of life, delay progression of this disease. Although risk of liver transplantation is high, this might be an alternative for advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis.