ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility of decompression without gastric tube after minimally invasive esophageal cancer surgery.MethodsSeventy-two patients who underwent minimally invasive esophageal cancer resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from 2016 to 2018 were selected as a trial group including 68 males and 4 females with an average age of 58.5±7.9 years, who did not use gastric tube for gastrointestinal decompression after surgery. Seventy patients who underwent the same operation from 2013 to 2015 were selected as the control group, including 68 males and 2 females, with an average age of 59.1±6.9 years, who were indwelled with gastric tube for decompression after surgery. We observed and compared the intraoperative and postoperative indicators and complications of the two groups.ResultsThere were no significant differences between the two groups in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative level of serum albumin, postoperative nasal jejunal nutrition, whether to enter the ICU postoperatively, death within 30 days after surgery, anastomotic leakage, lung infection, vomiting, bloating or hoarseness (P>0.05). No gastroparesis occurred in either group. Compared with the control group, the recovery time of the bowel sounds and the first exhaust time after the indwelling in the trial group were significantly shorter, and the total hospitalization cost, the incidence of nausea, sore throat, cough, foreign body sensation and sputum difficulty were significantly lower (P<0.05).ConclusionIt is feasible to remove the gastric tube for gastrointestinal decompression after minimally invasive esophageal cancer surgery, which will not increase the incidence of postoperative complications, instead, accelerate the postoperative recovery of patients.