ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0MBJ3ZX

Excision Abdomen Bursa and Ligament, Left to Diagnostic with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemM Bursae and Ligaments
OperationB Excision
Body PartJ Abdomen Bursa and Ligament, Left
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierX Diagnostic

Operation Definition

Cutting out or off, without replacement, a portion of a body part

Procedure Overview

Excision procedures cut out a portion of a bursa or ligament without replacing it, leaving the remainder of the structure in place. This is done to remove diseased, damaged, or chronically inflamed tissue, such as a thickened bursa that has not responded to drainage or rest, or a partially torn ligament that needs debridement of frayed edges before repair.

A bursectomy, in which part of an inflamed bursa is removed, is a typical example, as is trimming away degenerated portions of a ligament during reconstructive surgery. Because only a portion of the structure is taken, the ligament or bursa continues to exist and function afterward, distinguishing this from a resection that removes the entire body part.

Excision is often performed as a standalone treatment for chronic bursitis or degenerative ligament disease, or as a preparatory step before repair or reconstruction.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Abdomen Bursa and Ligament, Left

The left abdominal bursa and ligament structures parallel those on the right, encompassing musculoskeletal connective tissue bands and any localized bursal formations within the abdominal wall rather than the true visceral peritoneal ligaments of the digestive organs. Excision is typically performed for a fibrous band causing chronic pain or nerve entrapment, or for a mass of ligamentous character identified during abdominal wall exploration or hernia repair. Coders should verify that the excised tissue is genuinely part of this musculoskeletal grouping, since abdominal wall procedures often occur alongside hernia repairs or other soft tissue interventions that are coded under entirely separate body systems.

Approach: Percutaneous

Percutaneous describes entry by needle or instrument puncture through the skin or mucous membrane to reach the site of the procedure, without cutting the tissue open or using a visualizing scope. It differs from Open in that the site itself is never exposed, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic in that no endoscope is used to see internal structures. Common examples include needle biopsies and injections.

Qualifier: Diagnostic

Applied chiefly to Excision, this qualifier marks that tissue was removed specifically for diagnostic purposes, i.e., a biopsy intended for pathologic evaluation rather than to treat disease. It distinguishes biopsy-type excisions from therapeutic excisions of the same body part, which are coded without this qualifier even though the physical technique may be identical.

Coding & Documentation

Coders should confirm the note describes cutting out and removing a specific portion of tissue that is sent to pathology or discarded, as opposed to simply releasing or draining the structure. If the entire bursa or ligament is removed, the correct root operation is Resection rather than Excision, so the extent of removal documented by the surgeon is critical.

A frequent error is coding debridement performed as part of a repair as a separate Excision when it was an integral, inherent part of the definitive procedure and should not be coded separately. Biopsies of ligament or bursa tissue also fall under Excision and require attention to the diagnostic qualifier.

Commonly Confused With

ResectionExcision is most often confused with Resection, distinguished purely by whether all or only part of the ligament or bursa was removed.
ExtirpationIt is also distinguished from Extirpation, which removes abnormal solid material such as a calcified nodule or foreign body rather than a portion of the native structure itself.