ObjectiveTo discuss whether central lymph node dissection (CLND) should be performed for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients. MethodsThe related domestic and foreign literatures were retrieved, the necessity of CLND and the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury in CLND were reviewed, and the application value of intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) in CLND were analyzed. Results① CLND can reduce the recurrence rate of PTC, improve postoperative survival rate, ease the difficulty of reoperation, and help to clarify tumor stage. ② CLND can increase the risk of RLN injury. ③ Application of INOM can decrease the risk of RLN injury. ConclusionsThe application of IONM during CLND effectively decrease the risk of RLN injury for surgeons, especially low seniority surgeons, and improve the survival quality and the prognosis. This combination will promote the implementation of routine CLND therapeutic strategy in thyroid cancer patients.