ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0PT90ZZ

Resection Clavicle, Right to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemP Upper Bones
OperationT Resection
Body Part9 Clavicle, Right
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part

Procedure Overview

Resection covers the surgical removal of an entire bone or a complete anatomically distinct portion of a bone within the skull, facial skeleton, thorax, or upper limb, without any device or material put in its place as part of the same code. Examples include removal of an entire clavicle for a tumor, excision of a whole rib, or removal of a full carpal bone.

This is typically performed for aggressive bone tumors, severe infection such as osteomyelitis that has destroyed the bone, or as part of a larger reconstructive plan where the diseased segment must come out before any rebuilding can occur. Because no replacement device is coded here, resection is often just the first step of a staged repair.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Clavicle, Right

The right clavicle is the S-shaped strut connecting the sternum to the scapula, serving as a rigid strut that holds the shoulder away from the chest wall and transmits load from the upper limb to the axial skeleton. Resection, the complete cutting out of the clavicle, is performed for primary bone tumors, extensive metastatic disease, or chronic osteomyelitis that has destroyed the bone beyond salvage, and is a far more extensive undertaking than the partial distal clavicle excision common in acromioclavicular joint surgery. Because the clavicle protects the underlying subclavian vessels and brachial plexus and anchors the sternocleidomastoid, pectoralis, and trapezius muscles, total claviculectomy alters shoulder girdle mechanics and often necessitates soft tissue reconstruction to maintain some suspension of the shoulder. The operative report should confirm removal of the entire bone to distinguish this code from partial clavicular excision.

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

The key documentation requirement is that the entire named body part, or a coded subdivision of it, is removed - partial removal of a bone that leaves a portion behind should be coded as excision instead, which falls outside this family. Coders need to check the specific body part values available for upper bones, since some are defined at the level of an individual bone (clavicle, scapula) while others are grouped, which changes whether a partial removal still qualifies as resection. A frequent error is coding resection when only a segment of a long bone like the humerus was removed rather than the whole bone, which should be excision. Another is failing to code a separate replacement or supplement procedure when reconstruction was performed in the same operative session.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionExcision is the primary distinction: it applies to removing only a portion of a bone rather than the whole defined body part, and the two are frequently mixed up when operative notes use "resection" loosely to describe any bone removal.
ReplacementReplacement is often performed immediately after resection in the same case but is captured as its own code because it involves putting a substitute in, which resection by definition does not include.