ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0SPR4JZ

Removal Hip Joint, Femoral Surface, Right to No Qualifier with Synthetic Substitute, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemS Lower Joints
OperationP Removal
Body PartR Hip Joint, Femoral Surface, Right
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
DeviceJ Synthetic Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking out or off a device from a body part

Procedure Overview

Removal procedures take out a device that was previously placed in a lower joint, such as internal fixation hardware, a spacer, drainage tubing, or an external fixator frame. These procedures are performed once the device has served its purpose - for example, after a fracture has healed and screws are no longer needed - or when a device is causing pain, infection, or mechanical irritation and needs to come out. Removal can be a planned, staged part of treatment or an unplanned procedure prompted by a complication.

Because the device itself, not the joint tissue, is the focus, these procedures are typically less extensive than the original surgery that placed the device, though scar tissue and bony ingrowth around older hardware can make removal technically demanding.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Hip Joint, Femoral Surface, Right

The femoral surface of the right hip joint refers to the femoral head, the ball component of this deep, high-load ball-and-socket articulation that bears the majority of body weight during standing and gait. Removal at this surface generally involves extracting a nonbiological component, such as a trial or definitive femoral head prosthesis, cement fragment, or fixation device, without disturbing native acetabular tissue. This need arises when a hip implant requires revision due to loosening, infection, or dislocation, or when hardware from prior femoral neck fracture repair must be taken out before or during arthroplasty. Because the femoral head sits deep within the pelvis and is central to hip stability, removal procedures here are typically performed as part of a larger revision or staged reconstruction rather than in isolation.

Approach: Percutaneous Endoscopic

Percutaneous Endoscopic combines a puncture through skin or mucous membrane with insertion of an endoscope to visualize the procedure internally, as in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It is distinguished from plain Percutaneous by the presence of scope-guided visualization, and from Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic by its route being a new puncture rather than an existing orifice or stoma.

Device: Synthetic Substitute

Synthetic Substitute designates a device made from manufactured, non-biologic material, such as mesh or prosthetic components, used to replace or augment a body part. It is distinguished from the two tissue substitute categories by its artificial composition, which carries different considerations for integration and long-term durability than biologic grafts.

Coding & Documentation

The operative note must identify the specific device being taken out and confirm nothing is being put in its place; if a new device replaces the old one, the more specific combination root operation (such as Revision) may apply instead of a plain Removal. The body part coded is the joint from which the device is taken, using the device's original insertion site. A recurring error is coding Removal when hardware is being exchanged for a different device during the same procedure, which should instead be captured as Revision, or when the device is being taken out specifically because it failed, which some coders mistakenly still classify simply as Removal without checking whether Revision criteria are met.

Commonly Confused With

RevisionRemoval is closely related to Revision, and the distinction hinges on whether a malfunctioning or displaced device is simply corrected in place (Revision) or entirely taken out without replacement (Removal).
ReplacementIt is also distinct from Replacement, which involves taking out an existing device or tissue and putting in a new one to serve the same function.