Abstract: Objective To explore the efficacy and indication of surgical resection in tuberculous empyema.  Methods 112 patients with tuberculous empyema hospitalized from January 1999 to the end of 2008 receivedsurgical resection therapy. All patients included 49 cases with complete tuberculous empyema, 1 case with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with complete tuberculous empyema,53 cases with tuberculous encapsulated empyema, 3 cases with pulmonary tuberculosis combined with encapsulated empyema and 6 cases with tuberculous empyema combined with broncho pleural fistula.  Results The modes of surgical treatment included: pleural fibrotic plastictomy in 67 cases, pleuropneumonectomy in 10 cases, pleurolobectomy in 4 cases, pleuropneumoresection in 6 cases, pleural fibrotic plastictomy combined with thoracoplasty in 18 cases and other operations in 7 cases. The overall clinical cure rate was 95.0%. The rate of complication was 12.5%. The mortality was 0.9%.   Conclusion s The operation should be performed as eraly as possible when patients developed chronic tuberculous empyema. Surgical therapy is the only effective way in chronic tuberculous empyema.