The causes of hoarseness after esophageal cancer surgery mainly include intubation injury, damage of vocal cord and damage of recurrent laryngeal nerve, etc. It takes about 1 month to recover from intubation injury, 2~3 months from damage of vocal cord and 6 months from damage of recurrent laryngeal nerve. 1. Intubation injury: most of the intubation injuries are caused by wear and tear, and the recovery is relatively fast, usually about one month to return to normal. 2. Vocal cord damage: damage to the vocal cords requires a process of tissue repair, most of which will take 2 to 3 months to recover. 3. Laryngeal recurrent nerve damage: damage repair will be relatively slow, most need about 6 months. During the recovery period, you should pay attention to reducing the frequency of speaking, drinking more water, controlling the diet, ensuring sufficient rest, and taking care under the guidance of the clinician as well as regular checkups.