The only hope of long-term survival for patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgical resection or liver transplantation, the former of which is more feasible at present. However, postoperative recurrence or metastasis is an ominous feature for this disease. Innovation of the surgical procedure for improving prognosis is under emergency request. This study examines the role of this simple technique on postoperative metastasis and long term survival.