Conservative surgical treatment of carcinomas limited to the supraglottic larynx has been shown to be an oncologically and functionally effective therapeutic approach. A retrospective study was made of the medical records of 792 patients who underwent conservative surgery for supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma at the Gregorio Marañón University Hospital of Madrid, Spain, in 1962-1991. Our theoretical protocol for treating supraglottic tumors is presented. The oncological results (survival, local control, recurrences) and functional results (breathing, swallowing, voice quality) were analyzed.