ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0TB48ZZ

Excision Kidney Pelvis, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemT Urinary System
OperationB Excision
Body Part4 Kidney Pelvis, Left
Approach8 Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

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

Procedure Overview

Excision in the urinary system involves cutting out a piece of an organ, such as a wedge of kidney tissue for biopsy, a section of bladder wall containing a suspicious lesion, or part of a ureter, while leaving the rest of the structure intact. It is performed to diagnose disease by examining tissue under a microscope, or to remove a localized abnormal area without sacrificing the whole organ.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Kidney Pelvis, Left

In the left renal pelvis, excision similarly targets a localized abnormality, such as a urothelial tumor or a polyp identified on prior imaging or ureteroscopic biopsy, removed endoscopically or through an open approach without taking the entire kidney or collecting system. This nephron-sparing strategy is weighed against the risk of tumor recurrence within the upper tract, and pathology confirmation of margins is a standard part of the workup. Coders should distinguish this excision from a more extensive nephroureterectomy performed for higher-grade disease, and confirm from documentation that the resected tissue originated specifically from the pelvis rather than an adjacent calyx or the proximal ureter.

Approach: Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic

Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic describes instrumentation introduced through a natural orifice or a surgically created opening while using an endoscope for visualization, as in a routine colonoscopy performed through the anus. It differs from the plain Via Natural or Artificial Opening value by the added scope, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic by using an existing passage rather than a new skin puncture.

Coding & Documentation

Assignment depends on identifying the exact body part biopsied or partially removed and the surgical approach (open, percutaneous, or via endoscope). Operative and pathology notes together confirm that only a portion of the structure was taken, since removal of an entire organ is coded as Resection instead. A frequent mistake is defaulting to Excision for any biopsy language without checking whether the documentation actually describes complete organ removal, or failing to code a closed (percutaneous needle) biopsy separately from an open surgical biopsy performed during the same encounter.

Commonly Confused With

ResectionExcision is most often confused with Resection - the dividing line is whether any of the organ remains after the procedure.
ExtirpationIt also differs from Extirpation, which removes abnormal solid matter like a stone or necrotic debris rather than a piece of the organ itself, and from Destruction, which eliminates tissue in place without removing a specimen.