ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0VPD43Z

Removal Testis to No Qualifier with Infusion Device, Percutaneous Endoscopic Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemV Male Reproductive System
OperationP Removal
Body PartD Testis
Approach4 Percutaneous Endoscopic
Device3 Infusion Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking out or off a device from a body part

Procedure Overview

Removal procedures in this family involve taking out a device that was previously placed in a structure of the male reproductive system, such as a penile prosthesis, testicular prosthesis, or a drain, rather than treating native tissue. These are performed when a device has served its purpose, malfunctioned, become infected, or needs to be exchanged for a different device.

Patients encounter these procedures most often after a prior implant surgery, such as removal of a penile implant due to mechanical failure, erosion, or infection, or removal of a testicular prosthesis that was placed after orchiectomy. Depending on the reason for removal, a new device may or may not be placed during the same operative session, which affects how the encounter is coded overall.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Testis

Removal at the testis in ICD-10-PCS refers to taking out a device previously placed within the organ, most often a silicone or saline testicular prosthesis implanted after orchiectomy for cancer, trauma, or torsion, or occasionally a biopsy marker left in place. The testis itself is a paired, encapsulated gland suspended in the scrotum by the spermatic cord, and any prosthesis sits within the residual tunica vaginalis space rather than replacing functional tissue. Removal is coded when the implant is taken out without a new device being placed in the same operative episode, whether because of infection, malposition, capsular contracture, patient dissatisfaction with size or feel, or planned staged revision. Because the scrotal pouch is shallow and mobile, the surgeon typically approaches through the original scrotal incision, and documentation should clarify whether the device is removed outright or removed and immediately replaced, which would instead be coded as Removal followed by Insertion.

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: Infusion Device

Infusion Device denotes a device left in place to deliver medication, fluids, or other substances into a body part over time, such as an intrathecal or epidural pump. It is distinct from devices that merely monitor or mechanically support tissue, since its function is ongoing pharmacologic or fluid delivery rather than structural replacement. Common placements include the spinal canal, peritoneal cavity, and vascular access sites.

Coding & Documentation

A Removal code is assigned only when a device is being taken out and documentation confirms no new device is being put in through the same procedure; if a device is removed and immediately replaced, coders instead consider whether Revision or a Removal-plus-Insertion combination better reflects what was documented. The operative note should name the specific device removed, such as inflatable penile prosthesis components or a testicular implant, and confirm complete extraction.

A common mistake is coding Removal when the physician actually performed a Revision, which corrects or adjusts a malfunctioning device without full removal and replacement, or when a device is removed and a new one is placed in the same operative episode, which requires reporting both Removal and Insertion rather than Removal alone. Coders should also verify the body part reflects where the device was located rather than the device type itself.

Commonly Confused With

RevisionRemoval is frequently confused with Revision, since both address problems with an existing device, but Revision corrects, adjusts, or partially replaces components in place while Removal takes the device out entirely.
InsertionIt is also distinguished from Insertion, which places a new device without removing an old one, and situations involving both an old device coming out and a new one going in require separate Removal and Insertion codes rather than a single combined code.