Computer-Assisted Head and Neck Surgery: Principles, Techniques and Clinical Outcome

Computer-assisted surgery is presented here not as a single piece of technology, but as a complete clinical workflow: 3D imaging and segmentation, virtual surgical planning, transfer of the plan with printed models or cutting guides, intraoperative navigation, and postoperative imaging for feedback and refinement.

Through complex trauma and oncology cases, the lecture shows how mirroring can help restore orbital and zygomatic anatomy, how navigation can verify reduction and cutting depth near critical structures, and how patient-specific solutions can be integrated into reconstruction. The discussion then moves into major mandibular and maxillary defects, fibula and scapular flap reconstruction, orbital and skull-base surgery, and prosthetically driven planning for dental rehabilitation.

Particularly useful are the practical decisions behind the technology: when a simple model may be enough, when navigation adds safety, why maxillary reconstruction can be more difficult than mandibular reconstruction, and why surgeons must remain directly involved in cutting-guide design rather than delegating planning entirely to technicians.

The closing discussion also explores the training pathway for a comprehensive head and neck surgeon, the relationship between oncology, trauma, orthognathic and microvascular reconstruction, and real-world considerations such as guide accuracy, costs and insurance coverage.