The study compares survival and complications during two periods with a different approach to radical hysterectomy as treatment of cervical cancer stages Ib and IIa. Group A included 128 patients operated during the years 1983-87. In that period 5 of the patients who were offered radical hysterectomy had cervical cancer stage IIa. Group B included 135 patients operated during the years 1988-91. In that period 7 of the patients who were offered radical hysterectomy had cervical cancer stage IIa. Considering stage 1b separately, the frequency of operation was raised from 52 (123/237) to 87% (128/148). A 5-years crude survival rate of 85% and 88% was observed in the two groups. The mortality rate was zero in both periods and no fistulae occurred. There were no significant increase in morbidity or length of hospitalization. In the elderly patients over sixty years a significant increase in minor postoperative complications and hospitalization more than 2 weeks were seen. The conclusion is that the frequency of radical hysterectomy as treatment of cervical cancer stage Ib can be raised from 52% to 87% without any noticeable influence on survival or complication rate.