Surgeons can refine liver surgery strategies with a new patient-specific segmentation method focused on vascular structures.

• This new hepatic and portal vein-based classification (hpvc) showed better anatomical alignment than conventional methods, particularly for complex liver segments 5 and 8.
• Surgeons rated hpvc higher in accuracy for surgical planning and anatomical adherence compared to traditional classifications and an automated deep learning tool.

Integrating hpvc into clinical workflows could significantly enhance outcomes in complex liver surgeries.

• Significant volumetric discrepancies were found among the methods, highlighting the importance of choosing the right segmentation approach.