Introduction. The incidence of cicatricial esophageal stenoses in children after severe chemical burns is quite high. Bougienage is a preferred modality in cicatricial stenoses of the esophagus. The new technique of esophageal bougienage which is thought to be the most safe and effective is dilatation with a wire guide. Purpose. To compare management of children with cicatricial esophageal narrowings using various dilatation techniques. Material and methods. 481 patients with chemical burns of the esophagus were treated at the department of pediatric surgery in Abualiibni Sino Tajik State Medical University (Dushanbe). 236 (49 %) children had burns of degree I; 124 (25.8 %) – of degree II; 121 (25.2 %) – of degree III. Cicatricial narrowings in the esophagus in children are mostly of degree III; that is why such pathology was chosen as the object of the study. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the bougienage technique. The control group included 68 (56.2 %) patients: 47 (38.8 %) of them had “blind” bougienage; 21 (17.4 %) – “thread” bougienage. In 53 (43.8 %) patients from the studied group, bougienage of the esophagus was made with a guided bougie. Results. 78 patients in whom cicatricial stenoses developed after tissue damage with the vinegar essence were admitted to the hospital. 28 (36.8 %) of them – one month and more after the injury. 4 children from the control group and 2 children from the studied group had esophageal perforation as a complication of esophageal dilatation. These patients had extended and subtotal cicatricial stenoses. 3 other patients developed cicatricial stenoses after accidental swallowing of batteries; one had thread bougienage after gastrostomy, and the other two had wire-guided bougienage. Two children had burn lesions caused by unknown reagent with the subsequent formation of cicatricial stenosis of the organ; they had thread and wire-guided bougienage. In the first case, outcome was successful; in the second one – not, because of extended stenosis. Conclusion. The technique of wire-guided bougienage has been proven to be effective.