Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in China, which serious threat to life and health. Surgical treatment of HCC is one of the most important therapeutic options for long-term survival of HCC patients, including hepatectomy and liver transplantation. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) infused the therapeutic agents directly into the hepatic artery, the main blood supply in HCC, providing higher concentration and reaction rate. HAIC is an effective treatment for hepatectomy of downstaging and adjuvant therapy, which can improve the feasibility of hepatectomy and decrease the recurrence rates after resection. In this paper, we will review the applications and advances of HAIC in surgical treatment of HCC.