01B33ZZ
Excision Brachial Plexus to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | 1 Peripheral Nervous System |
| Operation | B Excision |
| Body Part | 3 Brachial Plexus |
| Approach | 3 Percutaneous |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Cutting out or off, without replacement, a portion of a body part
Procedure Overview
This family describes procedures that remove a portion of a peripheral nerve or its associated tissue, such as taking a small nerve biopsy to diagnose conditions like vasculitis or amyloidosis, or removing a segment of nerve that contains a benign tumor such as a schwannoma or neurofibroma. Unlike a full nerve resection performed to eliminate the nerve's function entirely, this operation takes out only part of the structure while leaving the rest intact.
Patients typically undergo this procedure either because a diagnosis cannot be made without direct tissue sampling, or because a growth on the nerve needs to be removed for symptom relief or to rule out malignancy. Recovery depends heavily on which nerve was involved and how large a segment was taken, since sensory or motor deficits can result even from a partial excision.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Brachial Plexus
The brachial plexus, formed by the anterior rami of C5 through T1, threads between the anterior and middle scalene muscles before dividing into trunks, divisions, and cords that supply nearly all motor and sensory function to the upper limb. Excision of plexus tissue is reserved for discrete lesions such as neurofibromas, schwannomas, or malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, since the dense interweaving of fascicles here means even limited resection risks widespread deficit across shoulder, arm, and hand function. Intraoperative nerve monitoring and careful fascicular dissection are commonly used to spare uninvolved elements. Given the plexus's complex three-dimensional anatomy spanning the supraclavicular and infraclavicular regions, documentation should specify which trunk, cord, or division was involved, as this determines the resulting pattern of upper-extremity weakness or numbness.
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.
Coding & Documentation
Coders assign this family when the operative report describes cutting out part of a nerve or a lesion attached to it, with no replacement material used. The pathology report and surgeon's description of margins help confirm that a distinct portion, rather than the entire nerve, was removed. A frequent assignment error is applying Excision when the whole nerve was actually transected and not reconnected, which is more accurately captured as Resection in body systems that support it, or confusing a diagnostic nerve biopsy (still Excision) with an incisional biopsy of an unrelated soft tissue mass nearby. Documentation should also clarify whether the nerve itself or a surrounding structure, like a neuroma confined to scar tissue, was the target.