Objective To investigate the clinical effect of splenic artery ligation in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma(HCCA)undergoing major liver resection(MLR).Methods Twenty-two patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from July 2021 to June 2023 with HCCA undergoing MLR alone were selected as the control group,and twelve patients undergoing MLR combined with splenic artery ligation(SAL)were selected as the trial group.The preoperative and postoperative clinical data of white blood cell count,platelet count,transaminases,total bilirubin(TB),albumin(ALB),international normalized ratio(INR),and postoperative complications in both groups were analyzed.Results The preoperative counts of white blood cell and platelet in the trial group were not statistically significant compared with those at discharge,indicating that splenic artery ligation did not affect spleen function.The trial group had better INR,TB,drainage flow,Clavien-Dindo grade-postoperative complications,postoperative hospital days,and total costs than those of the control group on the 5th postoperative day(P<0.05).Conclusion Combining SAL with MLR in patients with HCCA is safe and effective,and it is important to reduce serious postoperative complications and shorten the postoperative recovery period.