To study the influence of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on pulmonary function and postoperative pulmonary complications in esophageal cancer patients. Pulmonary function and postoperative pulmonary complications of 63 esophageal cancer patients undergoing preoperative CRT and operation in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University between 2002 and 2013 were collected retrospectively. The influence of preoperative CRT on pulmonary functional indexes and postoperative pulmonary complications were analyzed. After preoperative CRT, DLco% decreased significantly (83.7±17.7 vs. 96.4±17.8, P<0.01), while no obvious changes in other indexes were found. Postoperative pulmonary complication rate was 34.9% (22/63), including 19 cases of pneumonia and 3 cases of acute pulmonary injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome. Differences in postoperative pulmonary complication rates were not statistically significant between patients with DLco% <80 and those with DLco% ≥80 patients (29.7% vs. 41.7%, P>0.05), and between patients with DLco% decline ≥15% and those with DLco% decline <15% patients (31.6% vs. 37.8%, P>0.05). Preoperative CRT can damage the diffusion function but not ventilation function of esophageal cancer patients, and does not increase the postoperative pulmonary complication rate.