Survival for patients with esophageal varices is uncertain and can be decades, five years or less. It depends on how well the patient’s disease is controlled. Esophageal varices are not a stand-alone disease, but rather a localized manifestation of a number of diseases. Therefore, how long a patient with esophageal varices can survive should be analyzed in the context of the specific cause of the varices, the extent of the varices, and the presence or absence of sudden hemorrhage. The most common clinical cause of esophageal varices is portal hypertension, which is mostly caused by cirrhosis. If the degree of esophageal varices is mild and the cirrhosis is in the compensatory stage, the patient can usually live for more than 10 years or decades. If the esophageal varices are severe, with multiple bleeding episodes, and liver function is in the decompensated phase, the patient is likely to die during the acute bleeding phase. If the esophageal varices are caused by bronchial cancer, esophageal cancer, etc. that compresses the superior vena cava or pancreatic cancer resulting in obstruction of reflux, the 5-year survival rate of patients usually does not exceed 20-50%. Patients with esophageal varices need to prevent rupture and bleeding because bleeding can be life-threatening when it is severe and uncontrollable. Prophylactic ligation can be done on the advice of a doctor and regular review can be scientifically effective in prolonging survival. If the patient is diagnosed with esophageal varices, it is recommended to go to a regular hospital in time, to clarify the cause of the disease, and then carry out targeted treatment under the guidance of the doctor.