[Development of head and neck surgery at the end of the XXth century]

The development of the surgery of the head and neck tumors seemed to be completed for the end of the seventies by the widespread acceptance of the basic technologies. However, the discovery of two techniques, medical laser and PM-lobe initiated major developments in the surgical oncology of head and neck cancer. Based on our studies, the benefits of use of medical laser in oncology are its fine-tuned topological preciseness, tissue-protection and the lack of bleeding disorders. A special benefit of the medical laser is its ablasticity and the support of tissue repair. The wide-spread use of PM-lobe technique in head and neck surgery was made it possible by the development of various modifications such as the cutan-myocutan and the osteomyocutan ones. By the application of the developed variants we were able to correct the consequences of radical resections and achieved acceptable functional and esthetic status in cancer patients.