OBJECTIVE To investigate the risk factors of surgical interventions in patients with esophageal foreign bodies(EFBs). METHODS Forty-three cases with EFBs underwent surgical interventions from January 1962 to January 2011 in Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Tangdu Hospital were enrolled in the study group. Forty three cases with EFBs who received non-surgical treatment in the same hospital and during the same period matched by gender and age(the age difference between the paired patients was 5 years or less) were selected as the control group. Clinical data including type of EFBs, duration of impaction, location of EFBs, complications associated with EFBs were collected. Univariate and multivariate conditional logistic analysis were used for risk factors analysis. RESULTS Univariate conditional logistic analysis showed that type of EFBs, duration of impaction, location of EFBs, and complications associated with EFBs were risk factors of surgical interventions in patients with EFBs(P<0.05). Further multivariate conditional logistic analysis showed that type of EFBs(sharp EFBs) was the independent factor of surgical interventions in patients with EFBs(P=0.043; OR=29.228, 95% CI:1.114-766.686). CONCLUSIONS Physician should pay more attention to patients with sharp EFBs. Whether the patients need surgical interventions or not should base on factors including duration of impaction, location of EFBs, and complications associated with EFBs.