<p>Risks of dysphagia following subtotal esophagectomy include recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and difficulty elevating the larynx.</p> <p>Our hospital’s Swallowing Team intervenes in all cases of esophageal cancer surgery involving reconstruction. Patients are referred to our department from the Department of Gastroenterological Surgery prior to surgery for the exclusion of multiple primaries and laryngeal function assessment and are then referred to our team after surgery.</p> <p>In this study, we examined swallowing function following esophageal cancer resection and reconstruction. The study included 119 patients (90 men, mean age 70.0 ± 7.8 years) who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer between November 2021 and October 2024. The surgical procedures were subtotal esophagectomy (109 cases of transmediastinal subtotal esophagectomy and 10 cases of open subtotal esophagectomy), with reconstruction primarily performed via the retrosternal approach. Additionally, while two-field dissection was the standard, three-field dissection involving neck procedures was performed in 10 cases.</p> <p>Regarding feeding status at discharge, a comparison was conducted between two groups—those capable of oral intake of three meals per day and those requiring alternative nutrition, with concomitant gastrostomy or enterostomy, focusing on factors such as the extent of lymph node dissection, vocal cord paralysis, and postoperative laryngeal elevation. Based on these results, we report on prospects for rehabilitation following esophageal cancer surgery.</p>