During the period of January 1979 to December 1988, 220 patients with empyema thoracis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School Hospital. There were 167 males[75.9%] and 53 females[24.1%] ranging from 18 days to 76 years of age. Occurrence ratio of left and right empyema was 1 : 1.9. The underlying pathologic lesions of empyema were pneumonia[30.9%], pulmonary tuberculosis[22.7%], chest trauma[8.6%] and postoperative complications. In bacteriologic study, staphylococcus, pseudomonas and streptococcus accounted for 26.4%, 11.8% and 9% respectively, and 25% were not identified. Surgical treatment modalities were thoracentesis[10 patients, 4.5%], closed thoracostomy[132, 60%], closed rib resection drainage[4.2, 6%], modified Eloesser’s operation[37, 16.8%], decortication[27, 12.3%], decortication with pulmonary resection[6, 2.7%], thoracoplasty[2, 0.9%], muscle flap closure [1, 0.5%], and staged pneumonectomy[1, 0.5%], The mortality rate was 2.3% and the complications were sepsis[9 patients]. acute renal failure[4], and paralytic ileus[3].