ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0VCN3ZZ

Extirpation Vas Deferens, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemV Male Reproductive System
OperationC Extirpation
Body PartN Vas Deferens, Right
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking or cutting out solid matter from a body part

Procedure Overview

Extirpation removes solid material that does not belong in the body from a male reproductive structure, such as a calcified stone in the vas deferens, a blood clot obstructing the epididymis, or a foreign object lodged in the scrotal or penile tissue. Unlike excision, no normal body part is cut away; the surgeon is retrieving debris, a clot, or a stone that has formed or lodged within an otherwise intact structure.

This type of procedure is typically performed when the obstructing material is causing pain, blocking normal fluid flow, or risking infection, and imaging has identified a discrete mass of foreign or abnormal material rather than diseased tissue that needs to be sampled or removed. Retrieval can be done through a small incision, endoscopically, or under image guidance depending on where the material is located.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Vas Deferens, Right

The right vas deferens is the muscular duct that carries sperm from the epididymis toward the ejaculatory duct, running from the scrotum through the inguinal canal into the pelvis. Extirpation targets abnormal material within this duct, such as calcified debris, inspissated secretions, or obstructing material tied to chronic inflammation or prior injury, without cutting or removing a segment of the duct wall itself. Because the vas deferens is a narrow, muscular tube encased in the spermatic cord alongside vessels and nerves, isolating it and clearing its lumen requires precise handling to avoid unintended occlusion or vascular injury. Documentation should clarify that the intervention removed intraluminal material rather than resulting in transection, which would otherwise carry contraceptive implications similar to a vasectomy.

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

The note must describe removal of solid matter, such as a calculus, thrombus, or foreign body, from within a structure rather than removal of the structure's own tissue. Coders should look for words like stone, clot, or foreign body extraction rather than biopsy or resection, since those point toward Excision or Resection instead. A common error is coding drainage of an organized hematoma as Drainage when the clot has become solid and is being physically removed, which should be Extirpation; the distinction hinges on whether the material is fluid enough to be aspirated or has organized into a solid mass requiring extraction.

Commonly Confused With

DrainageDrainage is the most frequent point of confusion, since both address unwanted material within a body part; the deciding factor is physical state, with liquid or gas removed as Drainage and solid matter removed as Extirpation.
ExcisionExcision can also overlap in cases where a stone has become embedded in tissue that must be cut to free it; if any of the surrounding organ tissue is also taken out, the procedure may need to be coded as both Extirpation and Excision depending on what the documentation supports.