Surgery is required for the following: To drain empyema, cardiac tamponade, or central nervous system abscess To close bronchopleural fistulas To resect infected bowel To decompress spinal cord encroachment Surgical debridement is sometimes needed in Pott disease to correct spinal deformities or to relieve cord compression if there are neurologic deficits or pain persists; fixation of the vertebral column by bone graft is required in only the most advanced cases.