Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Methods Such databases as PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, Chinese Journals Full-text Database, CBM and WanFang Data were searched from the date of their establishment to November 30, 2011 to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on LOLA in treating HE. The quality of included studies was evaluated by two reviewers independently, data were extracted and cross-checked, and then meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.0 software. Results Among the total six included RCTs, 432 patients were diagnosed as type-C HE and 185 were diagnosed as type-A HE. Compared with the placebo group, for the patients with type-C HE, LOLA could significantly reduce the serum ammonia level (WMD=16.60, 95%CI 8.34 to 24.85, Plt;0.000 1) and the time of number connection test-A (NCT-A) (WMD=9.6, 95%CI 5.26 to 13.93, Plt;0.00 01), and it could also effectively improve the clinical remission rate (RR=1.36, 95%CI 1.06 to 1.73, P=0.01). However, no significant differences were found between the two groups for the patients with type-A HE (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion LOLA is effective for the patients with type-C hepatic encephalopathy, and it could be regarded as a choice in clinic. However, more high-quality RCTs are needed to further evaluate the effect of LOLA in treating type-A hepatic encephalopathy.