[Realization of ethics responsibilities in different surgical leadership structures]

The first century of modern surgery was dominated by strong personalities each of which have formed a leading surgical school and a great hospital. This was beneficial for the young science as long as all areas of the developing surgery could be mastered by one single man. A consequence of great and ever faster progress in all sciences and particularly in medicine is a more and more narrower specialization. This trend has made it impossible for an individual to be on the forefront of developments in the major surgical disciplines. Thus, to fulfill important tasks and especially for further progress it is mandatory to use the diverse skills of different individuals as a team.