ObjectiveTo explore the effects of modified telescopic embedding anastomosis in surgical treatment of esophageal and cardiac carcinoma. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 160 patients with esophageal or cardiac cancer undergoing surgery in our group from January 2014 through May 2015. There were 119 males and 41 females with a mean age of 61.6±7.1 years. Sixty-four patients received Sweet esophagectomy and 96 patients underwent minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy, and all the patients received end to side mechanical anastomosis. The patients were divided into a modified group and a traditional group according to the embedding types. There were 34 males and 12 females aged 61.7±6.4 years in the modified group undergoing modified telescopic embedding. There were 85 males and 29 females aged 62.2±7.5 years in the traditional group undergoing traditional interrupted horizontal mattress suture embedding. The anastomostic time and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. ResultsCompared with the traditional group, obviously lower incidence of anastomotic fistula (0.0% vs. 12.3%, χ2=4.478, P=0.013), shorter anastomosis time (28.9±2.9 min vs. 30.0±3.1 min, t=-1.983, P=0.049), but a higher incidence of anastomotic stenosis (30.4% vs. 3.5%, χ2=23.799, P=0.000) in the modified group were found. There were no significant differences in the incidences of pulmonary complications, cardiovascular complications, laryngeal recurrent nerve injury, or perioperative mortality between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionModified telescopic embedding anastomosis is safe and feasible in surgical treatment of esophageal and cardiac carcinoma, and can effectively reduce the incidence of anastomotic fistula.