Objective To explore the effect of liver steatosis on liver resection safety and the prognosis. Methods Selected from January 2012 to December 2014 in our hospital liver resection of 172 cases of liver cancer patients, according to the results of HE staining, 172 patients without fatty degeneration in 106 cases (control group), 42 cases of mild steatosis (mild steatosis group), 24 cases of severe fatty (moderate and severe steatosis group),observed each group patients the clinical characteristics, surgery situation, biochemical index, postoperative complications, hospitalization time, etc. Results Body mass index(BMI)of patients in the three groups difference was statistically significant (P<0.05), moderate and severe steatosis group had the highest BMI (26.94±3.14)kg/m²; in moderate and severe steatosis group, surgery time, intraoperative bleeding volume, infusion of red blood cells and hepatic portal occlusion time were (182.39±42.17) min, (553.07±50.22) ml, (1.18±0.34) U and (20.15±6.07) min. They were significantly higher than that of the control group and mild steatosis group (P<0.05); moderate and severe steatosis patients with severe complication rate was 45.83%,significantly higher than that in the control group and the mild steatosis 9.43% and 9.52%. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); In moderate and severe steatosis group, hospitalization time and ICU were (23.06±7.30) d and(3.71±1.03) d, significantly higher than that in the control group and the mild steatosis group(P<0.05). Conclusion Mild liver steatosis have no effect on the surgery, severe liver steatosis may increase the surgery time and bleeding, severe complications occurred more, is not conducive to the safety of the surgery and prognosis.