Objective: To compare the efficacy of laparoscopic and open surgery in treatment of low-risk thyroid papillary carcinoma, so as to provide reference for its treatment method selection. 
Methods: The clinical data of 538 patients with low-risk thyroid papillary carcinoma undergoing surgical treatment in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from November 2010 to November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 243 cases underwent laparoscopic thyroidectomy (laparoscopic group) and 295 cases underwent open thyroidectomy (open surgery group). The main clinical variables were compared between the two groups of patients.
Results: There were no significant differences in terms of general data between the two groups (all P>0.05). No significant differences were observed in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, amount of postoperative drainage, number of retrieved lymph nodes in the central compartment, time to tube removal, and length of hospitalization between the two groups either by overall comparison or stratified comparison according to the resection scope (all P>0.05). No significant differences were noted in respect of the incidence of postoperative bleeding, hoarseness, subcutaneous hematoma, coughing when drinking water, hypocalcemic tetany and wound infection (all P>0.05), but the incidence of postoperative neck discomfort in laparoscopic group was significantly lower than that in open surgery group (P<0.05). The pain scores on postoperative day 1, 2, and 3, and the 3-year survival rate and recurrence rate all showed no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). The postoperative cosmetic grading scores in laparoscopic group were significantly superior to those in open surgery group (all P<0.05).
Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective for the treatment of low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma, and it can reduce the discomfort in the neck, and better meet the cosmetic requirements of the patients compared to traditional open surgery. It can be considered as a preferred surgical procedure for low-risk thyroid.