0CTV8ZZ
Resection Vocal Cord, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | C Mouth and Throat |
| Operation | T Resection |
| Body Part | V Vocal Cord, Left |
| Approach | 8 Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part
Procedure Overview
This family covers the complete surgical removal of a mouth or throat structure, performed without replacing it with any substitute material. Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, total glossectomy for tongue cancer, and total laryngectomy are the best-known examples, though resection also applies to complete removal of smaller structures such as the uvula or the epiglottis when the entire structure is taken. The defining feature is that the whole body part, not just a piece of it, is removed.
These procedures are most often performed to treat cancer, to relieve chronic infection or obstruction as with recurrent tonsillitis or sleep apnea, or to address a severely diseased structure that cannot be salvaged. Because losing an entire structure such as the tongue or larynx has major consequences for eating, breathing, and speaking, resection is frequently followed by reconstructive procedures performed either in the same operative session or as a staged second surgery.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Vocal Cord, Left
The left vocal cord is one of the paired laryngeal folds that oscillate to generate sound and close the airway during swallowing and coughing. Resection here denotes complete removal of the left fold, a procedure performed almost exclusively for malignancy confined to that side when a full cordectomy is required rather than a partial or biopsy excision. As with its right-sided counterpart, the left and right cords are coded separately because each vocal cord is a distinct body part with independent surgical and functional consequences, and removing only the left cord typically preserves some voicing capacity through compensatory closure against the right fold. The approach is usually transoral endoscopic laryngoscopy, and precise laterality documentation is essential given the paired, mirror-image nature of these structures.
Approach: Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic
Via Natural or Artificial Opening Endoscopic describes instrumentation introduced through a natural orifice or a surgically created opening while using an endoscope for visualization, as in a routine colonoscopy performed through the anus. It differs from the plain Via Natural or Artificial Opening value by the added scope, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic by using an existing passage rather than a new skin puncture.
Coding & Documentation
Coders need documentation confirming that an entire named body part was removed, not merely a lesion, margin, or portion of it; operative notes should describe complete excision of the structure by name, such as "total glossectomy" or "complete tonsillectomy." The most common error is applying resection when only a partial removal occurred, which should instead be coded as excision, or when the structure removed is better classified as an entire versus a specific defined body part in the ICD-10-PCS body part table. Coders should also verify whether reconstruction was performed in the same session, since that requires an additional replacement or supplement code alongside the resection.