Abstract: Objective To investigate the operation time after failure of endoscopic therapy of patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding caused by portal hypertension liver cirrhosis. Methods The clinical data of 48 patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding caused by portal hypertension liver cirrhosis between 2005 January and 2010 December which receive operation after failure of endoscopic therapy were analyzed retrospectively. According to times of preoperative endoscopic treatment, patients were divided into two groups: group A of 21 cases, which received not more than 3 times of preoperative endoscopic treatment; group B of 27 cases, which received more than three times of preoperative endoscopic treatment. Intraoperative, postoperative clinical indicators were compared between two groups. Results The rate of thrombosis of the left gastric vein, operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, portal venous pressure of pre-devascularization and post-devascularization, the incidence of postoperative complications, esophagogastric varices recurrence rate of group A was lower than that in group B. Underwent esophageal transection of group B was significantly lower than that of group A (all P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions Patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding caused by portal hypertension liver cirrhosis should receive opetation after failure of endoscopic therapy not more than three times.