While cervical cancer remains the second most common female tumour with over 500,000 cases per year, the incidence has fallen dramatically in countries that have introduced successful screening programmes, predominantly in the western world. Traditionally, staging assessments have been carried out under anaesthesia and have used standard and widely available radiological techniques such as a chest X-ray and an intravenous urogram. Radical vaginal trachelectomy comprises the first part or distal resection of the cervix, paracervical tissue and upper vagina, as in a Schauta vaginal hysterectomy. All women are carefully counselled with regard to treatment options, as well as the risks of the procedure and the relative lack of experience compared with conventional radical hysterectomy or chemo/radiotherapy. As this is a new procedure, a strict follow-up protocol is undertaken, with a review of the pathology and discussion of early postoperative care and management at 2 weeks.