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A series of 230 patients was studied with a view to the effect of the time interval between cone biopsy of the cervix and hysterectomy on the postoperative febrile course and on the incidence of severe complications, such as abscess and/or haematoma in the true pelvis or in the abdominal wound. Fever as well as severe complications were found to be most common in patients treated by hysterectomy 4-14 days after cone biopsy. The causes are discussed. It is concluded that cone biopsy and hysterectomy should be carried out at the same time, with frozen section microscopy of the biopsy. Otherwise, the hysterectomy should be deferred until 5 or 6 weeks after the cone biopsy.