ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0MBS3ZZ

Excision Foot Bursa and Ligament, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemM Bursae and Ligaments
OperationB Excision
Body PartS Foot Bursa and Ligament, Right
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

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

Foot Bursa and Ligament, Right

The right foot's bursae and ligaments include structures overlying the metatarsal heads, the plantar fascia-adjacent ligaments, and small bursae that develop over bony prominences such as bunions. Excision is frequently performed alongside bunion correction or for a symptomatic adventitious bursa caused by chronic pressure or friction, or to remove a portion of ligament tissue contributing to a foot deformity. Because the foot contains numerous small, closely packed ligamentous structures supporting the arch and forefoot, precise identification of the excised structure is important both surgically and for coding, distinguishing it from tendon or joint capsule procedures performed in the same operative session. The approach is typically open given the superficial location of most foot bursae.

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 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.