Objective To analyze the risk factors of atrial fibrillation (AF) after radical esophagectomy, providing the basis for prevention and treatment of AF after radical esophagectomy. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 335 patients' clinical data, who accepted laparoscopic combined thoracic or open radical esophagectomy in the same treatment group at Department of Thoracic Surgery of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University between January 2014 and August 2016. There were 262 males and 73 females at age of 65.1 (43-78) years. Results There were 48 of 335 patients with AF within 1 week after surgery. By univariate analysis: age, gender, history of peripheral vascular disease and cardiac stents or angina pectoris, preoperative brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), preoperative left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, operation pattern, intraoperative blood transfusion and lymph nodes and pericardial adhesion were possible risk factors. By multivariate analysis: age, gender, history of cardiac stents or angina pectoris, preoperative BNP, operation pattern, intraoperative blood transfusion and lymph nodes and pericardial adhesion were risk factors. Conclusion The risk factors of AF after radical esophagectomy are age, gender, history of cardiac stents or angina pectoris, preoperative BNP, operation pattern, intraoperative blood transfusion and lymph nodes and pericardial adhesion. Perioperative positive intervention to above factors may reduce the incidence of postoperative AF.