The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical value of carbon nanoparticles to identify and preserve parathyroid glands in situ during papillary thyroid carcinoma surgery. The clinical data of 505 cases with papillary thyroid carcinoma were analysed: 260 cases with carbon nanoparticles were regarded as the study group, and 245 cases with conventional operation were regarded as the control group. The number of identified and misresected parathyroid glands of different types in the two groups was collected and analysed. Additionally, the number of different parathyroid gland types preserved in situ was compared with autotransplantation between the two groups. Significant differences were found between the identification rates of type B1 and total parathyroid glands and the preservation in situ rates of type A1, type A2 and type B1 and total parathyroid glands in the 2 groups (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the identification rates of type A1, A2, A3, B2 and B3 parathyroid glands and the preservation in situ rates of type A3, B2 and B3 parathyroid glands in the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The negative development technique of carbon nanoparticles can effectively identify and preserve parathyroid glands in situ during papillary thyroid carcinoma surgery.