This article reports the first successful human orthotopic liver transplantation performed in Mexico. The recipient was a 41 year old white male, with a history of essential hypertension and hepatitis in 1975. The diagnosis of postnecrotic cirrhosis was made in 1985 by liver biopsy. The HBsAg was negative and the functional reserve of the liver was limited (Stage "C" of the Child-Pugh classification). A liver graft was obtained through the National Cadaver Organ Transplant Program on May 2, 1988 and an orthotopic liver transplantation was performed without incidents, using the portosystemic veno-venous bypass. Inmunosuppression was carried out with triple drug therapy, cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisone. His postoperative course was characterized by idiopathic cholestasis, one episode of acute rejerction, arterial hypertension, renal dysfunction, esophageal herpes and inguinal lymphocele, all of which resolved. Currently the patient is alive 22 months postransplantation with normal liver function and adequate quality of life.