Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The clinical data of 79 patients with recurrent HCC undergoing percutaneous RFA from May 2008 to March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. There were a total of 106 recurrent lesions in the 79 patients, and the tumor size ranged from 0.8 to 5.0 cm with an average of (2.8±1.0) cm. Results: The success rate of ablation was 98.1% and a complete tumor ablation rate reached 94.2%. The common post-ablation adverse reactions were fever (72.7%), pain in hepatic region (90.9%), gastrointestinal symptoms (20.8%), and jaundice (6.5%). No severe complications such as liver failure, bile leakage, infection, and bleeding occurred, and no perioperative death occurred as well. The length of postoperative hospital stay was 1 to 5 d with an average of (2.2±1.0) d. Follow-up was conducted for 7 to 64 months with an average of (38±14) months, post-ablation recurrence occurred in 54 cases, and the recurrence rate was 70.1%. The 1- and 3-year post-ablation survival rate was 89.6% and 66.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Percutaneous RFA is a safe, effective and minimally invasive treatment method for small recurrent HCC, and should be considered as a preferential alternative for this condition.