0LDC0ZZ
Extraction Thorax Tendon, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | L Tendons |
| Operation | D Extraction |
| Body Part | C Thorax Tendon, Right |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Pulling or stripping out or off all or a portion of a body part by the use of force
Procedure Overview
Tendon extraction procedures involve pulling or stripping out all or part of a tendon using mechanical force, most often to remove a tendon that has become severely diseased, calcified, or is being harvested for use elsewhere in the body. A common example is stripping the long saphenous vein equivalent in tendon work, such as harvesting the palmaris longus or a strip of hamstring tendon to serve as graft material for reconstructing a torn ligament or another damaged tendon. It is also used to remove a tendon that is chronically inflamed or fibrotic and no longer functions, when leaving it in place would cause ongoing pain or restrict motion.
Patients typically encounter this procedure as one step within a larger operation, such as ACL reconstruction using a hamstring autograft, rather than as a standalone treatment. The extracted tendon tissue is either discarded because it is diseased, or preserved and repositioned for grafting, which distinguishes this from a simple excision.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Thorax Tendon, Right
Thorax tendons on the right include those connecting muscles such as the serratus anterior or intercostal-associated structures to the rib cage, playing a role in shoulder girdle stabilization and chest wall mechanics. Extraction procedures target these tendons when a foreign body, such as a bullet or shrapnel fragment, has become lodged near a tendinous insertion on the ribs or sternum, or when a tissue sample is needed from a mass suspected to involve the tendon. Working in this region requires caution given the proximity of the pleura and intercostal neurovascular bundles beneath the chest wall musculature, so the extraction must be performed without breaching the thoracic cavity. Clear documentation of the specific tendon and its relation to nearby ribs supports accurate coding in this anatomically constrained area.
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
Coders assign an extraction code from this family when documentation shows tendon tissue being pulled or stripped out by force, commonly during graft harvesting for ligament or tendon reconstruction elsewhere in the body. The operative note must specify that the tendon (not a ligament, muscle, or bursa) was the harvested structure and identify the specific tendon and body part value.
The most frequent assignment error is confusing extraction with excision when a portion of tendon is simply cut away rather than pulled out with force - excision applies when a scalpel or similar sharp method removes the tissue without traction. Coders also sometimes miss that harvested graft tissue used elsewhere still generates a separate code for the extraction site itself, distinct from the code for wherever the graft is placed.