Objective To investigate the clinical application of subaxillary curved mini-incision thoracotomy in thoracic operations. Methods Through a subaxillary curved mini-incision between the latissimus dorsi muscle and the serratus anterior muscle (length of incision, 8~14 cm), thoracic operations were performed in 65 patients with thoracic diseases, including pneumothorax or hemopneumothorax (13 patients), pulmonary benign tumor (23 patients), mediastinal tumor (4 patients), and esophageal benign or malignant tumor and cardiac cancer (25 patients). Results All the patients were successfully operated on. No surgery-related deaths occurred. The incidence of complications was 6.2% (4/65), including pleural effusion in 1 patient, pulmonary infection in 2 patients, and anastomotic leakage of esophagogastrostomy in 1 patient.Conclusions Subaxillary curved mini- incision thoracotomy, characterized by minimal invasion, little blood loss, mild influence on cardiopulmonary functions, quick recovery, and good cosmetic outcomes, is an ideal option for the treatment of thoracic diseases.