Even in the hands of the expert endoscopists, an occasional instrumental perforation of the esophagus occurs. But instrumental perforation of the esophagus should not be difficult to diagnose if the possibility is borne in mind. Occasionally patient with esophageal perforations show little reaction at first, but usually they develop systemic manifestation if surgical management is delayed. Early surgical drainage of esophageal perforation is very important & effective therapeutic method. The delayed surgical treatment of esophageal perforation would have increased the morbidity & mortality by allowing mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. We have experienced 6 cases of delayed surgical management of instrumental perforation of esophagus from May 1974 to April 1986 in the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Yonsei University, college of the medicine. The ages ranged from 4 years to 57 years. The underlying esophageal diseases consisted of esophageal stricture in 3 cases, foreign bodies in the esophagus in 2 cases and esophageal ca. in one case. Most clinical manifestations on admission were high fever, chest discomfort, chest pain, dysphagia and subcutaneous emphysema. Most complications due to esophageal rupture were acute mediastinitis with or without empyema thoracis. Failure to diagnose promptly and failure to promptly institute adequate treatment undoubtedly were largely responsible for this patients death. All 6 patients had been taken delayed surgical drainage more than 24 hours following esophageal perforation. One patient had been in the open drainage state for long time and the another patient has been in the tracheostomy with postintubation vocal cord ulceration. The third patient died due to respiratory failure and sepsis due to fulminant mediastinitis & empyema thoracis. Even if the patients with esophageal perforation have been taken delayed surgical management, the patients should be survived with aggressive & effective surgical drainage with intensive post-operative care.