ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0LCH0ZZ

Extirpation Perineum Tendon to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemL Tendons
OperationC Extirpation
Body PartH Perineum Tendon
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking or cutting out solid matter from a body part

Procedure Overview

Tendon extirpation procedures take or cut out solid matter that has formed within or around a tendon but is not itself normal tendon tissue, such as a foreign body, a blood clot, or a calcified deposit that has hardened within the tendon. This differs from removing part of the tendon structure itself, since the target here is abnormal material lodged in or against the tendon rather than the tendon's own tissue.

Common scenarios include removing a splinter or suture fragment that migrated into a tendon sheath, evacuating an organized hematoma that has not resolved on its own, or extracting calcific deposits associated with calcific tendinitis that have become symptomatic. The surgeon may need to make an incision to access and extract the material, and the procedure is considered complete once the solid matter is out, without any tendon tissue itself being excised.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Perineum Tendon

The perineum tendon includes tendinous structures within the perineal body and surrounding musculature that support pelvic floor function, and extirpation in this region is uncommon but may be performed to remove calcified deposits, a retained foreign body, or necrotic debris following obstetric trauma, prior perineal surgery, or chronic infection. Because the perineum is a compact area containing the anal sphincter, vaginal or urethral structures, and their supporting musculature, the surgeon must work with precise, limited dissection to reach the tendon without injuring these adjacent structures. This region has no laterality designation, reflecting its midline anatomic position. Documentation should clearly establish that the material removed originated from a tendinous structure rather than from muscle, skin, or mucosal tissue, since perineal pathology is often described in general terms that can obscure the specific tissue involved.

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

Extirpation is coded when documentation describes removing solid matter, abnormal by presence or amount, from within or around the tendon, distinct from removing a piece of the tendon itself. The note should specify what was extracted, such as a calcific deposit, foreign body, or organized clot, and the tendon or region involved.

A frequent coding error is applying Extirpation to routine debridement of degenerated tendon tissue, which actually belongs under Excision because that tissue is part of the tendon rather than foreign or abnormal material lodged within it. Coders also sometimes miss that if the extracted material is accompanied by simple fluid drainage in the same operative field, both actions may need separate codes depending on what exactly was documented as removed.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionExcision is the most common point of confusion, and the deciding factor is whether the material removed is part of the tendon's own structure, which is Excision, or foreign or abnormal solid matter not native to the tendon, which is Extirpation.
DrainageDrainage overlaps when a collection contains both fluid and solid debris, in which case the predominant character of what was removed, and sometimes both actions if clearly documented, determines the correct code.
RepairRepair procedures sometimes follow extirpation to close the access incision, but a simple closure is not separately coded unless it involves a distinct reconstructive repair of the tendon.