The liver is the organ most frequently infected by hydatid disease and medical therapy alone is ineffective in eliminating the parasite. Surgical options vary from complete resection (e.g. total pericystectomy or hepatectomy) to limited procedures (e.g. percutaneous aspiration or unroofing of cysts). The aim of this study was to determine the long-term outcome after complete or partial resection of liver hydatid cysts.