ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0TQ43ZZ

Repair Kidney Pelvis, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemT Urinary System
OperationQ Repair
Body Part4 Kidney Pelvis, Left
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Restoring, to the extent possible, a body part to its normal anatomic structure and function

Procedure Overview

Repair covers procedures that restore a urinary structure to its normal anatomy and function when no other root operation more precisely describes the work done. It functions as the default category for suturing a laceration of the bladder or ureter, closing a traumatic kidney injury that does not require tissue excision, or fixing an incidental defect found during another operation.

These procedures come up after trauma, as a complication of another surgery, or when a structural defect such as a small fistula or perforation needs closure. Because Repair is used only when a more specific root operation does not apply, it tends to represent a narrower and more varied set of interventions than families like Resection or Replacement.

Outcomes generally focus on returning the organ to working order rather than reconstructing it with different tissue or material.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Kidney Pelvis, Left

The left kidney pelvis collects urine from the calyces before it drains into the left ureter, and repair addresses a perforation, laceration, or structural defect corrected by direct restoration rather than resection or substitution. Such injury may follow endoscopic stone manipulation, external trauma, or a complication of a prior renal procedure. Its position adjacent to the ureteropelvic junction means careful technique is needed to prevent post-repair stricture, which could impede urine flow from the kidney. The retroperitoneal depth of the left kidney, close to the spleen and colon, typically dictates an open or laparoscopic approach for adequate exposure. Documentation should make clear that the intervention is a direct repair of the pelvis itself, not a reconstruction using a tissue graft or reimplantation, which would be coded differently.

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

Coders turn to this family only after ruling out every other root operation that might better describe the objective of the procedure - for example, a fistula closure that reroutes tissue may actually be Reposition or another operation, not Repair. The operative note needs to clearly describe the defect being closed and confirm that the surgeon's intent was simply to mend the structure, not to reconstruct it with graft material or to remove diseased tissue.

A frequent assignment mistake is defaulting to Repair whenever a note says "repaired" in plain language, even though the actual technique performed - such as excision of scar tissue with reattachment, or reconstruction using tissue from elsewhere - fits a different root operation. Coders should always check whether a more specific term applies before settling on this category.

Commonly Confused With

RepositionRepair is easily confused with Reposition, which is used when the objective is to move a body part to a different or corrected location rather than to mend a defect in place, such as fixing a ptotic kidney.
ReplacementIt is also distinct from Replacement, which uses biological or synthetic material to take over the function of the damaged part rather than restoring the native tissue itself, and from Supplement, which reinforces a structure with additional material without removing or replacing existing anatomy.