ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QC50ZZ

Extirpation Acetabulum, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationC Extirpation
Body Part5 Acetabulum, Left
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking or cutting out solid matter from a body part

Procedure Overview

Extirpation of the lower bones is the removal of solid material that doesn't belong there - a loose bone fragment, a piece of dead bone (sequestrum) left behind by infection, or debris lodged in the bone following trauma. Unlike cutting away living bone tissue, this procedure clears out material that is already separated or non-viable, which is why it's often paired with treating osteomyelitis or cleaning up after a fracture.

Patients typically undergo this when imaging or prior surgery has identified fragments that are causing pain, blocking healing, or perpetuating an infection. Removing the material can relieve symptoms and allow the surrounding bone to heal normally.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Acetabulum, Left

The left acetabulum is the concave socket where the ilium, ischium, and pubis converge to receive the femoral head, and its precise geometry is essential to stable, pain-free hip motion. Extirpation from this structure involves taking out solid material that does not belong, such as loose bony or cartilaginous fragments from an intra-articular fracture, infected sequestrum in a septic hip, or residual cement from a prior arthroplasty, while leaving the acetabular bone itself unresected. Because the joint surface is weight-bearing and closely apposed to the femoral head, meticulous technique is needed to avoid damaging the remaining articular cartilage, and this procedure is frequently paired with joint irrigation or staged revision arthroplasty when infection is the underlying cause.

Approach: Open

Open approach means the surgeon cuts through skin, mucous membrane, or other tissue layers to physically expose the target site to view before performing the procedure. It gives direct visualization and hands-on access, distinguishing it from Percutaneous approaches where instruments pass through a small puncture without exposing the site. Open is typical for procedures needing wide access, such as most laparotomies.

Coding & Documentation

Look for documentation describing removal of a sequestrum, loose body, necrotic bone fragment, or foreign material from within a lower bone. Sequestrectomy for chronic osteomyelitis is a classic example. The material removed should be distinguishable from the bone itself - it's being taken out of the bone, not cut from it. A frequent coding mistake is defaulting to excision whenever a bone procedure is described, without checking whether the surgeon was actually removing a discrete, already-separated fragment versus cutting living bone; the two require different root operations even when performed through the same incision.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionThe key distinction from Excision is that extirpation removes matter that is not a normal part of the body part - dead or foreign material - while excision cuts a portion of a body part that is still living tissue.
ExtractionExtirpation is also distinct from Extraction, which pulls material out using force rather than simply lifting or removing loose fragments, and from Removal (a different root operation used for devices, not native tissue).