Laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy is a difficult and risky procedure, containing a number of technical essentials. The choice of laparoscopic approach is considered to be one of the core techniques. After decades of development, approach selection of laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy has gradually established a completely new field. Surgical design determines the selection of surgical approach which is variable and not independent. The authors’ team has developed a technique of laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy with liver parenchymal transection-first approach through repeated practice in clinical settings since the laparoscopic liver surgery was carried out. In accordance with the clinical experience, the technique was found to be simple, fast, safe and effective, which overcomes the challenges of complicated operation and high technical risk of laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy by the conventional approaches to some extent, and has certain clinical application value in laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy.