Surgery has played an important role in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Resection is usually the first choice for NSCLC patients in stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ, and it is also an important part of the comprehensive treatment for the stage ⅢA patients. Standard surgery of NSCLC includes resection of the primary tumor lesion and swee-ping of ipsilateral lymph nodes and mediastinal lymph nodes. The goal of treatment for lung cancer in early stage aims to decrease the rate of recurrence and mortality. In recent years, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and da Vinci robotic minimal invasive surgery have made gratifying achievements, especially for small peripheral lung nodules surgery. For patients with NSCLC at stage ⅢA, the central focus of research is about identifying patients who will benefit in the surgery combining with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, therefore to choose the appropriate surgery.