According to the extent of lung tissue removed, common surgical procedures can be classified as wedge resection, segmental lung resection, lobectomy, combined lobectomy, bronchial sleeve lobectomy, and total pneumonectomy. Depending on the surgical approach, they can be divided into traditional posterior posterolateral incision, small incision without cutting the muscle, and television-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Lobectomy is the standard procedure for the treatment of primary non-small cell lung cancer. The pulmonary veins, pulmonary arteries and finally the bronchi are dealt with sequentially during the operation. When the tumor invades the interlobular fissure or the mass invades the right middle trunk bronchus, double lobectomy or lobectomy + wedge resection of the invaded lung is a more appropriate option. Total pneumonectomy may be required for complete resection of the tumor when the following conditions are met: (i) proximal involvement of the main pulmonary artery; (ii) large central mass involving all the ipsilateral lobes; (iii) invasion of the pulmonary artery within the lobe fissure by the tumor and enlarged lymph nodes; (iv) involvement of the confluence of the upper and lower pulmonary veins; (v) extensive invasion of the bronchial divide crest, making bronchoplasty difficult. The overall mortality rate of total pneumonectomy is approximately 6-8%. The impact of total pneumonectomy on lung function is significant. Bronchial sleeve lobectomy, bronchopulmonary double sleeve lobectomy and pulmonary arterioplasty lobectomy may allow some patients to avoid total pneumonectomy and ensure complete tumor resection. Bronchial sleeve lobectomy can be considered when the following conditions are met: (1) the tumor is located at the opening of the lobe; (2) the distance of the tumor from the bulge meets the need for anastomosis; (3) the hilar and mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes can be removed simultaneously; (4) pulmonary arterioplasty is required if the tumor involves the pulmonary trunk. The mortality rate of bronchial cuff lobectomy is about 2.5%-6%, which is lower than that of total pneumonectomy. Bronchial sleeve lobectomy embodies the principle of surgical treatment of lung cancer, which is to “remove the maximum amount of diseased lung tissue and preserve the maximum amount of healthy lung tissue”. The preference of some thoracic surgeons for total pneumonectomy is due to doubts about the ability of bronchial sleeve lobectomy to cure the tumor. Numerous clinical studies have shown that bronchial cuff lobectomy has superior or approximate long-term follow-up outcomes and a higher quality of life than total pneumonectomy. The choice of bronchial cuff lobectomy or total pneumonectomy comes down largely to the surgeon’s surgical technique and concept of surgery. For patients who are more likely to undergo total pneumonectomy, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy is feasible and may allow some patients who would otherwise require total pneumonectomy to meet the requirements for radical tumor treatment with bronchial cuff lobectomy alone. Bronchial sleeve lobectomy is most commonly used for the resection of central lung cancer in the upper lobe of the right lung. Intraoperatively, the bronchial stump should be routinely examined by cryopathology to evaluate whether complete resection criteria are met. In patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, the risk of anastomotic fistula due to poor local blood supply should be guarded against. After anastomosis, reinforcement at the anastomosis should be routinely performed. Self-tissues that can be used to reinforce the anastomosis include extrapericardial fatty tissue, mural pleura, and greater omental tissue. Given the technically demanding nature of bronchial sleeve lobectomy, it is recommended that it be performed by an experienced surgeon. In patients with poor lung function or advanced age, limited resection such as segmental lung resection or wedge resection may be considered. Because of the high rate of local recurrence after wedge resection, segmental lung resection is recommended as the first choice for limited resection, which is more consistent with the requirements of anatomic resection. The anatomic sites capable of lung segmental resection are the lingual and intrinsic segments of the left upper lobe of the lung and the dorsal segments of both lower lobes. Pulmonary segmental resection requires a thorough knowledge of the bronchial and arteriovenous anatomy. Since there is no clear anatomical boundary between the lung segments, the segmental bronchi of the lung segment to be resected needs to be blocked after cutting the veins and arteries of the lung segment, and the remaining non-distended lung tissue is the lung segment to be resected. For limited resection, television-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is gaining attention among thoracic surgeons in terms of surgical access. Studies have shown that TV-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has a lower incidence of acute and chronic chest pain and a shorter hospital stay than traditional posterior posterolateral incisions. Thoracoscopic lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection for stage I non-small cell lung cancer has a 5-year survival rate and local recurrence rate similar to conventional open-heart surgery. Given the faster postoperative recovery and fewer complications, thoracoscopic lobectomy may be an option for stage I non-small cell lung cancer without anatomic or surgical contraindications.