This review provides an overview of current guideline recommendations for the clinical evaluation and surgical management of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, and further examines the evidence for controversial topics such as the minimum degree of primary resection, the role of elective central neck dissection, and the extent of lateral neck dissection. Well-differentiated thyroid cancer comprises the majority of thyroid cancers, about 90%, and includes both papillary and follicular carcinomas. Despite convergence of the medical community in establishing treatment guidelines under the American Thyroid Association, there still remain many areas of disagreement.