The surgical techniques of hepatic cystectomy (enucleation) are described in three patients. Presented are a 34 year old female with a symptomatic 10 cm septated biliary cystadenoma in segment IV of the liver, a 40 year old female with a symptomatic (lymphedema of lower extremities) 10 cm simple cyst in segments V and VIII of the liver, and a 71 year old female with a painful, right upper abdominal quadrant mass found on CT scan to be a 16 cm simple cyst in segments V and VI of the liver. Large simple hepatic cysts or cystadenomas can be successfully excised by cystectomy (enucle-ation) without parenchymal liver resection (wedge, segmental, or lobar). It also allows for accurate differential diagnosis of simple cyst and a neoplasia such as cystadenoma.