0MB93ZZ
Excision Upper Extremity Bursa and Ligament, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | M Bursae and Ligaments |
| Operation | B Excision |
| Body Part | 9 Upper Extremity Bursa and Ligament, Right |
| 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
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
Upper Extremity Bursa and Ligament, Right
The upper extremity bursa and ligament category on the right side captures larger, non-joint-specific bursae and ligamentous structures of the arm outside the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand-specific codes, such as subcutaneous bursae over the forearm or ligamentous bands not classified elsewhere. Excision at this level is typically performed when a bursa has become chronically inflamed or infected from repetitive pressure, such as occupational leaning on the forearm, or when a soft tissue mass with ligamentous origin is removed for diagnostic or symptomatic reasons. Documentation should confirm that the structure excised does not correspond to one of the more specific upper extremity codes, since this general category is used only when a precise joint-level location is not the operative target.
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.