ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0GTC0ZZ

Resection Glomus Jugulare to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemG Endocrine System
OperationT Resection
Body PartC Glomus Jugulare
Approach0 Open
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

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

Procedure Overview

Resection in the endocrine system means the complete surgical removal of a gland such as the thyroid, a parathyroid gland, an adrenal gland, or the pituitary, without any replacement structure put in its place. It is one of the most frequently performed procedures in endocrine surgery because so many endocrine conditions, from cancer to hormone-secreting tumors to autoimmune overactivity, are best treated by taking the entire gland out.

Common reasons include thyroid cancer or a large multinodular goiter, Graves' disease that has not responded to medication, a parathyroid adenoma causing hyperparathyroidism, an adrenal tumor such as a pheochromocytoma, or a pituitary tumor removed through the skull base. Because these glands regulate metabolism, blood pressure, calcium balance, and stress hormones, patients undergoing resection typically need lifelong hormone replacement or monitoring afterward, which their care team discusses well before surgery.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Glomus Jugulare

The glomus jugulare is paraganglionic tissue situated in the jugular foramen at the skull base, closely associated with the jugular bulb and the ninth through twelfth cranial nerves as they exit the cranium. Resection is performed for glomus jugulare tumors, vascular paragangliomas that can erode adjacent temporal bone and threaten hearing, facial nerve function, and lower cranial nerve integrity as they expand. Because of the tumor's deep skull-base location and rich blood supply, preoperative embolization is commonly used to reduce intraoperative bleeding, and the approach often involves a combined neurotologic and neurosurgical team using infratemporal fossa or transmastoid techniques. Careful preservation of the facial nerve and lower cranial nerves during dissection is a defining technical challenge, and complete tumor removal is what qualifies the procedure as Resection.

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 operative report must confirm the entire gland was removed, not a lobe, nodule, or partial gland, since a partial removal is coded as excision instead. When a total thyroidectomy is performed in stages or as completion surgery after a prior partial removal, coders need to check whether any residual tissue remained from the earlier operation and code accordingly. A common mistake is coding bilateral adrenalectomy or parathyroidectomy as a single procedure when each gland is a separate body part value requiring its own code. Coders should also watch for cases where a resection is combined with a separate reconstructive or reconstructive-adjacent step, such as autotransplantation of a parathyroid gland fragment, which requires an additional code.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionExcision is the closest neighbor and is easy to mix up with resection; excision applies when only part of the gland, such as a single lobe or nodule, is taken out, while resection requires the entire gland.
ExtirpationExtirpation, used for removing an abnormal substance like a stone or clot rather than gland tissue itself, is occasionally confused with resection in adrenal or pancreatic procedures.
DestructionDestruction, which eliminates tissue in place with energy such as radiofrequency ablation rather than cutting it out, is also sometimes conflated with resection when a gland is destroyed rather than physically removed.