In order to test the hypothesis whether the breathing pattern is helpful in predicting weaning outcome in patients being weaned from mechanical ventilation, 38 patients who underwent operation for esophageal cancer were evaluated at weaning from mechanical ventilation (19 unsuccessful weanings, group U, and 19 successful weanings in age-matched patients, group S). Since all patients initially fulfilled our weaning criteria, ventilatory parameters such as tidal volume, respiratory frequency, minute ventilation, and arterial blood gas analysis showed no significant differences between the groups. The breathing pattern was registered quantitatively by means of respiratory inductive plethysmography at 3 cmH2O (0.3 kPa) of CPAP prior to weaning. The contribution of rib cage movement to tidal volume (%RC) was significantly greater in group U than in group S (P < 0.05). Indeed, 84% of the patients in group S showed %RC less than 50%, compared to only 16% of the patients in group U (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the breathing pattern is one important factor in predicting the outcome of weaning in patients after thoraco-abdominal surgery. Diaphragmatic fatigue is suspected to be the mechanism for the increase in the RC component in patients with unsuccessful weaning outcome.