AIM: To evaluate the clinical outcome of Ivor Lewis subtotal esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower thoracic esophagus.METHODS: From January 1998 to December 2001,73 patients with lower thoracic esophageal carcinoma underwent Ivor-Lewis subtotal esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy. Clinicopathological information, postoperative complications, mortality and long term survival of all these patients were analyzed retrospectively.RESULTS: The operative morbidity and mortality was 15.1% and the mortality was 2.7%. Lymph node metastases were found in 52 patients (71.2%). Nodal metastases to the upper, middle, lower mediastini and upper abdomen were found in 13 (17.8%), 15 (20.5%),30 (41.1%), and 25 (34.2%) patients, respectively.Postoperative staging was as follows: stage Ⅰ in 5 patients, stage Ⅱ in 34 patients, stage Ⅲ in 32 patients, and stage Ⅳ in 2 patients, respectively. The overall 5-year survival rate was 23.3%. For NO and N1 patients, the 5-year survival rate was 38.1% and 17.3%, respectively (x2 = 22.65, P < 0.01). The 5-year survival rate for patients in stages Ⅱ a, 11 b and Ⅲ was 31.2%, 27.8% and 12.5%, repsectively (x2 = 29.18, P< 0.01).CONCLUSION: Ivor Lewis subtotal esophagectomy with two-field (total mediastinum) lymphadenectomy is a safe and appropriate operation for squamous cell carcinoma of the lower thoracic esophagus.