Objective To analyze the cause, diagnosis and treatment of delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after esophagectomy in a single center. Methods The clinical data of 1 294 patients who underwent esophagectomy from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2012 in Changzheng Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen (1.47%) cases with DGE was included in the observation group and 1 275 cases with no delayed gastric emptying were taken as controls. The age, history of diabetes, anastomotic site, surgical approach, and disassociation of stomach were compared between the two groups, and the causes which may influence gastric emptying were analyzed. The rules and treatment of DGE were summarized. Results A total of 19 cases with DGE after esophagectomy were cured by conservative treatment in our study. Univariate analysis showed that age, history of diabetes, anastomotic site,surgical approach, and disassociation of stomach were not correlated with DGE after esophagectomy (P>0.05). Conclusion The incidence rate of DGE after esophagectomy is low, with its causes remaining unclear. It directly affects patients' living quality and leads to delayed recovery, but can be cured by conservative management.