A clinical study was performed on 75 cases of the esophageal cancer and benign esophageal diseases experienced at Department of thoracic & cardiovascular surgery, School of Medicine, Keimyung University during 3 year period from 1978 to 1982. Of 75 cases of the surgical esophageal diseases, there were 35 patients of the esophageal cancer. 17 patients of benign esophageal stenosis, 10 patients of esophageal perforation, 4 patients of diverticulum. 3 patients of achalasia, 2 patients of congenital T-E fistula, one of upper esophageal web, one of esophageal foreign body, one of leiomyoma and patient of hemangioma. First, esophageal carcinoma was more frequent in men than in women by a ratio of five to one, and the peak incidence occurred in the 5th to 6th decade. Dysphagia was the most common symptom in 88.6 percent of our cases. The tumor was located mostly in the middle & the lower one third [91.4%]. The histological diagnosis was made in 35 cases. The squamous cell carcinoma was the most common [82.9%] and the rest was the adenocarcinoma in the lower one third [17.1%]. Thirty-five cases were operated and resection was feasible in the twenty-five patients [71.4%] with 2 cases of hospital mortality [5.7%]. All but two of the esophageal stenosis were caused by corrosive esophagitis and ages ranged from 7 to 70 years with average age of 32 years. Corrective operations were performed on 17 patients of esophageal stenosis of whom 12 patients had esophagocologastrostomy, 3 patients esophagogastrostomy and in non-corrosive esophageal stenosis one case and esophagoplasty and another case had release of external compression. There was one complication of stenosis of the esophageal perforation were traumatic in five cases, empyema in three cases, caustics in one case and postemetic in one case. 10 patients of the esophageal perforation underwent operation: primary closure in 5 cases, two staged colon interposition in 2, esophagogastrostomy in 1 and closed thoracotomy in 2 cases There were 2 complications of leakage of anastomosis sites in postoperative period. 4 patients of traction type of diverticulum underwent diverticulectomy & 3 patients of achalasia underwent modified Heller`s operation. 2 patients of congenital esophageal atresia had distal tracheoesophageal fistula & underwent one staged operation with the results of one death caused by pneumonia. Upper esophageal web had divulsion through the esophagoscope and foreign body in upper esophagus was removed through cervical esophagotomy. One case of leiomyoma in esophagus had esophagectomy and reconstruction with right colon. And one case of hemangioma in esophagus had esophagectomy & esophagogastrostomy. [KTCS 1983;2:231-242]