Objective: To study the cause and treatment of postoperative chylothorax in esophageal cancer patients.Methods: The operative procedure and postoperative thoracic drainage volume(PTDV) of the patients with postoperative chylothoreax were analyzed.The cause and treatment of postoperative chylothorax were reviewed.Results: Postlateral thoractomy was performed in all 13 cases.Esophageal gastric layer by layer anastomoses were performed in all cases.The sites of anastomoses were above the aorta arch in 12 cases

and below the arch in 1 case respectively.Post-operative pathology showed squamous carcinoma in 13 cases.TNM: T1 2 cases

T2 3 cases

T3 8case;N0 8 cases

N1 5 cases

M0 13 cases.PTDV was 320~1530 ml/d(mean:560ml/day).Albumin: 30~210g.The volume of plasma was 1000~8000ml.The length of time of surgical intervention from esphageal surgery was 9~21 days.Ligation of the thoracic duct was used in 9 cases.The treatmenrt was conservative in 4 cases.All patents were discharged without recurrent chylothorax.Conclusions: It is easy to damage the thoracic duct in the sites of invading

post and above aorta arch.It could partly avoid the thoracic duct damage by good exposure.PTDV is more than 500ml/day

and if the symptom lasts over one week

surgical intervention should be considered.