Abstract: 【ABSTRACT】Objective: To investigate the effect and complications of video assisted thoracic surgery for esophageal cancer resection and traditional open chest esophageal cancer resection. Methods: 315 cases of thoracic esophageal carcinoma were divided into control group (n=142) and observation group (173 cases), the control group using traditional cervical, thoracic and abdominal incision on the resection of esophageal carcinoma and the observation group using video-assisted thoracoscopic esophageal cancer resection, observed and recorded cases in the two groups in operative time, bleeding volume, lymph node dissection number, postoperative chest tube drainage, postoperative hospitalization time and complications. Results: In the observation group, the intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative chest drainage, duration of hospitalization was significantly less than that of the control group (P＜0.05), two groups of operation time, lymph node dissection quantity, postoperative complications were no significant difference (P＞0.05). Conclusion: Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of esophageal cancer surgery is less bleeding, postoperative recovery has the advantages of fast, and operation time, lymph node dissection, postoperative complications affecting the final effect index and traditional surgery compared are also no significant difference.