Objective To investigate the postoperative self-care ability and its influence factors in patients with esophageal cancer. Methods The self-made basic status questionnaire, exercise of self-care agency scale and social support rating scale were used to survey 106 cases with esophageal cancer from Jan. 2012 to Dec. 2014. The risk factors of self-care ability were analyzed. Results 101 effective questionnaire were got and the effective rate was 95.28%. The total score of self-care ability was (108.6± 21.5), 45 cases (44.55%) were at higher level and 56 cases (55.45%) were at moderate level. Univariate analysis showed educational level, chronic health disorders and health perception were associated with the total score of postoperative self-care ability (All P<0.01). The total score of social support were (43.5±6.5) and positively correlated with self-care ability (r=0.325,P<0.01). The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that education level, health perception and social support were important risk factors of self-care ability (t=2.926,-3.654, 2.301, All P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions The level of postoperative self-care ability in patients with esophageal cancer is not high. For the patients with low level of education, health perception and social support, nurse should enhance the health education.