07T40ZZ
Resection Lymphatic, Left Upper Extremity to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | 7 Lymphatic and Hemic Systems |
| Operation | T Resection |
| Body Part | 4 Lymphatic, Left Upper Extremity |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part
Procedure Overview
Resection covers the complete removal of an entire lymphatic or hemic body part, without replacing it, and is one of the more consequential procedure types in this family because it permanently eliminates that structure. The most familiar example is total splenectomy, removing the entire spleen after severe trauma, certain blood disorders, or an enlarged spleen that is failing or at risk of rupture. Other examples include complete thymectomy for thymic tumors or myasthenia gravis, and full lymphadenectomy, where an entire chain or region of lymph nodes is removed, often as part of cancer staging or treatment to prevent disease spread.
Because these organs and nodes support immune defense and fluid balance, patients undergoing resection are usually counseled about the tradeoffs, such as increased infection risk after splenectomy, before the procedure is performed.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Lymphatic, Left Upper Extremity
The left upper extremity's lymph nodes, situated along the medial arm and near the elbow, drain the hand, forearm, and arm and are removed when a malignancy of the limb, most commonly melanoma, has metastasized to these regional nodes or when a node requires biopsy to establish a diagnosis. As with the contralateral side, this resection targets discrete nodes rather than a full lymphatic basin and requires the surgeon to work carefully around the brachial artery, vein, and adjacent nerves that parallel the lymphatic drainage of the limb. The distinction from left axillary lymphatic resection matters clinically and administratively, since axillary dissection addresses a much denser nodal basin with different surgical risk, and operative documentation should make clear which specific nodal group along the extremity was excised.
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
Documentation must clearly state that the entire body part was removed, not a portion of it, since removing only part of an organ or only some nodes in a chain is coded as Excision rather than Resection. This distinction is one of the most frequent sources of coding errors in this family, especially with lymphadenectomies, where a note describing removal of "regional lymph nodes" needs to specify whether the entire nodal chain or basin was taken versus a sampling of nodes. Coders also need to confirm the specific body part value that matches the region resected, such as spleen versus a named lymph node group, and should check whether any adjacent structures were resected in the same operation, which would require additional codes.