Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common histological subtype of thyroid malignancy, accounting for the majority of differentiated thyroid cancers. Surgical intervention remains the cornerstone of treatment, with the extent of surgery determined by tumor characteristics, risk stratification, and presence of nodal involvement.

Objective: To analyze the clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, surgical approaches, and outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma at a tertiary care surgical center.

Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Major S. D. Singh Medical College, Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, over a one year period from November 2016 to October 2017. Fifty patients diagnosed with PTC based on clinical, radiological, and histopathological criteria were included. Data regarding age, gender, presenting symptoms, thyroid function tests, ultrasound findings, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), surgical procedures performed, histopathology, lymph node involvement, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.

Results: The majority of patients were female (80 percent), and most were in the age group of 21–40 years. The most common presentation was a painless anterior neck swelling. All patients underwent thyroid ultrasonography and FNAC prior to surgery. Total thyroidectomy was performed in 76 percent of cases, while hemithyroidectomy was done in selected low-risk cases. Central neck dissection was performed in 28 percent of patients with clinically positive nodes. Postoperative histopathology confirmed PTC in all cases. Surgical complications were minimal, with transient hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis observed in a small percentage. No mortality was reported.