Cervical biopsy (cone biopsy)
A cone biopsy is a small operation to remove a cone shaped piece of tissue from your cervix. You usually have it under general anaesthetic, which means you are asleep. The operation takes about 20 to 30 minutes. You will probably stay in hospital overnight. Why you might have a cone biopsy You might have a cone biopsy if you have symptoms that could be caused by cervical cancer. It’s also a treatment for abnormal cervical cells picked up through cervical screening. The abnormal cells might be on the outer surface of the cervix (ectocervix) or the inner part of the cervix (endocervix).