Objective To investigate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on postoperative residual curarization (PORC) in breast cancer patients. Methods A total of 71 female patients who were scheduled for breast‑cancer surgery were enrolled. According to the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, they were divided into two groups: a neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (group N, n=35) and a control group (group C, n=36). Before surgery, group N received neoadjuvant chemotherapy for 4 to 6 cycles of treatment, where 21 received docetaxel+cyclophosphamide (TC) regimen and 14 received docetaxel+loplatin (Tcb) regimen, and surgery was performed within one month after the end of the chemotherapy. Group C directly underwent surgery. The train‑of‑four ratio (TOFR) were measured immediately after laryngeal mask removal and arrival in the post‑anesthesia care unit (PACU), while the incidence of PORC was calculated. Their preoperative electrolyte, liver and kidney function, and acid‑base level before surgery were recorded. Furthermore, intraoperative anesthetic use and infusion volume, the time of residual neuromuscular blockade recovery, the time of spontaneous breathing recovery, eye‑opening, extubation, and the time of discharging from the PACU in the two groups were recorded. The lowest pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) after extubation and the occurrence of hypoxemia and other adverse events during recovery were observed. Results There were no statistical differences in preoperative liver and kidney function, electrolyte, acid‑base levels, intraoperative anesthetic use, and infusion volume between the two groups (P>0.05). Immediately after laryngeal mask removal, group N showed significantly lower TOFR than group C, and a higher incidence of PORC than group C (P<0.05). Immediately after arrival in PACU, group N presented significantly lower TOFR than group C, and a higher incidence of PORC than group C (P<0.05). Compared with group C, group N showed increases in the time of neuromuscular function recovery, and the time of spontaneous breathing recovery, eye‑opening, extubation, and the length of PACU stay (P<0.05). The lowest SpO2 after extubation in group N increased and the incidence of postoperative hypoxemia increased, compared with those of group C (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in adverse events between the two groups during the recovery period (P>0.05). Conclusions Patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy show an increased incidence of PORC, and increases in the times of anesthesia recovery and neuromuscular function recovery, the length of PACU stay, and the incidence of postoperative hypoxemia, compared with those without chemotherapy.