ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0FTG0ZZ

Resection Pancreas to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemF Hepatobiliary System and Pancreas
OperationT Resection
Body PartG Pancreas
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 complete removal of a hepatobiliary or pancreatic organ or anatomically distinct portion, without replacing it with a graft or device. The most familiar example is cholecystectomy, the complete removal of the gallbladder, typically performed for symptomatic gallstones, chronic inflammation, or gallbladder cancer. Other examples include total pancreatectomy and complete removal of an anatomically whole lobe of the liver when disease affects the entire segment.

These procedures are chosen when disease, such as cancer, severe infection, or irreversible organ damage, involves an entire anatomically distinct body part and leaving any of it behind would not resolve the underlying problem. Because the liver and pancreas perform essential metabolic and digestive functions, surgeons carefully weigh how much can be safely removed before turning to resection of a whole part rather than a partial excision.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Pancreas

The pancreas is a retroperitoneal gland with both exocrine acinar tissue producing digestive enzymes and endocrine islet cells producing insulin and glucagon, organized into head, neck, body, and tail regions that lie in close proximity to the duodenum, splenic vessels, and major bile duct. Resection of the entire gland, a total pancreatectomy, is reserved for diffuse disease such as multifocal intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, extensive ductal adenocarcinoma, or hereditary pancreatitis unresponsive to lesser procedures, since removing all pancreatic tissue causes complete loss of both exocrine and endocrine function, mandating lifelong enzyme replacement and insulin therapy. Because of this functional cost, total resection is distinguished sharply from partial procedures like pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy, which are coded to the specific body part value rather than to the whole-organ Pancreas code.

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

For Resection to apply, the documentation must show that an entire anatomically distinct body part, such as the whole gallbladder, an entire hepatic lobe, or the whole pancreas, was removed, not just a margin or lesion. When only a portion of an organ is taken, such as a wedge of liver tissue or the pancreatic tail alone, the case should instead be coded as an excision, a distinction that trips up coders regularly. Pathology and operative reports should be cross-referenced to confirm the full extent of what was removed and whether any organ tissue remained in the patient.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionResection is most often confused with Excision, and the dividing line is completeness: Excision removes only a portion of a body part while Resection removes it entirely.
ReplacementIt's also distinct from Replacement, since Resection alone doesn't involve substituting a device or graft for the tissue removed.