© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
The Mohs micrographic surgery technique, denoted by CPT® Code 17311, is a specialized surgical procedure designed for the precise removal of complex or ill-defined skin cancers, particularly basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. This technique is unique as it allows the physician to perform both the surgical excision of the tumor and the immediate pathological examination of the excised tissue. The procedure is characterized by its meticulous approach, where the surgeon removes the cancerous tissue in thin layers, ensuring that all gross tumor is excised while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. During the Mohs procedure, the excised tissue specimens are subjected to a process of mapping and color coding, which aids in the identification and tracking of any remaining cancer cells. This immediate examination under a microscope allows the surgeon to confirm the complete removal of cancerous cells down to their roots, significantly enhancing the likelihood of a successful outcome and reducing the chances of recurrence. The procedure is applicable to various anatomical locations, including the head, neck, hands, feet, genitalia, and any area where surgery may involve critical structures such as muscle, cartilage, bone, tendon, major nerves, or vessels. The first stage of this procedure, which involves the removal of up to five tissue blocks, is captured under CPT® Code 17311, while subsequent stages are coded separately under CPT® Code 17312. This coding structure reflects the complexity and precision inherent in the Mohs micrographic surgery technique.
© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
The Mohs micrographic surgery technique is indicated for the treatment of specific types of skin cancers, particularly in cases where the tumors are complex or ill-defined. The following conditions warrant the use of this procedure:
The Mohs micrographic surgery procedure involves several critical steps to ensure the effective removal of cancerous tissue while preserving healthy skin. The following procedural steps are performed:
Post-procedure care following Mohs micrographic surgery is essential for optimal recovery and monitoring for any complications. Patients are typically advised to follow specific care instructions, which may include keeping the surgical site clean and dry, applying prescribed topical medications, and avoiding strenuous activities for a designated period. The surgeon will provide guidance on how to care for the wound and when to return for follow-up appointments to assess healing and ensure that no cancerous cells remain. Patients may also be informed about potential side effects, such as swelling, redness, or discomfort at the surgical site, and when to seek medical attention if these symptoms persist or worsen.
| Short Descr | MOHS 1 STAGE H/N/HF/G | Medium Descr | MOHS MICROGRAPHIC H/N/H/F/G 1ST STAGE 5 BLOCKS | Long Descr | Mohs micrographic technique, including removal of all gross tumor, surgical excision of tissue specimens, mapping, color coding of specimens, microscopic examination of specimens by the surgeon, and histopathologic preparation including routine stain(s) (eg, hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue), head, neck, hands, feet, genitalia, or any location with surgery directly involving muscle, cartilage, bone, tendon, major nerves, or vessels; first stage, up to 5 tissue blocks | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | 000 - Endoscopic or Minor Procedure | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 0 - Physician Service Code | Multiple Procedures (51) | 2 - Standard payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 1 - Statutory payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Multiple Reduction Applies | ASC Payment Indicator | Office-based surgical procedure added to ASC list in CY 2008 or later with MPFS nonfacility PE RVUs; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 2 - Surgery | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P5A - Ambulatory procedures - skin | MUE | 4 | CCS Clinical Classification | 170 - Excision of skin lesion |
This is a primary code that can be used with these additional add-on codes.
| 17312 | Addon Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC N ASC N1 CPT Assistant Article Illustration for Code Mohs micrographic technique, including removal of all gross tumor, surgical excision of tissue specimens, mapping, color coding of specimens, microscopic examination of specimens by the surgeon, and histopathologic preparation including routine stain(s) (eg, hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue), head, neck, hands, feet, genitalia, or any location with surgery directly involving muscle, cartilage, bone, tendon, major nerves, or vessels; each additional stage after the first stage, up to 5 tissue blocks (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | 17315 | Addon Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC N ASC N1 CPT Assistant Article Illustration for Code Mohs micrographic technique, including removal of all gross tumor, surgical excision of tissue specimens, mapping, color coding of specimens, microscopic examination of specimens by the surgeon, and histopathologic preparation including routine stain(s) (eg, hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue), each additional block after the first 5 tissue blocks, any stage (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | 88311 | Addon Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC N PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Decalcification procedure (List separately in addition to code for surgical pathology examination) | 88314 | Addon Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC N PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Special stain including interpretation and report; histochemical stain on frozen tissue block (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) |
| 51 | Multiple procedures: when multiple procedures, other than e/m services, physical medicine and rehabilitation services or provision of supplies (eg, vaccines), are performed at the same session by the same individual, the primary procedure or service may be reported as listed. the additional procedure(s) or service(s) may be identified by appending modifier 51 to the additional procedure or service code(s). note: this modifier should not be appended to designated "add-on" codes (see appendix d). | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | 58 | Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was: (a) planned or anticipated (staged); (b) more extensive than the original procedure; or (c) for therapy following a surgical procedure. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 58 to the staged or related procedure. note: for treatment of a problem that requires a return to the operating/procedure room (eg, unanticipated clinical condition), see modifier 78. | LT | Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | SG | Ambulatory surgical center (asc) facility service | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | X4 | Episodic/focused services: for reporting services by clinicians who provide focused care on particular types of treatment limited to a defined period and circumstance; the patient has a problem, acute or chronic, that will be treated with surgery, radiation, or some other type of generally time-limited intervention; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the orthopedic surgeon performing a knee replacement and seeing the patient through the postoperative period | 78 | Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician or other qualified health care professional following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period: it may be necessary to indicate that another procedure was performed during the postoperative period of the initial procedure (unplanned procedure following initial procedure). when this procedure is related to the first, and requires the use of an operating/procedure room, it may be reported by adding modifier 78 to the related procedure. (for repeat procedures, see modifier 76.) | 22 | Increased procedural services: when the work required to provide a service is substantially greater than typically required, it may be identified by adding modifier 22 to the usual procedure code. documentation must support the substantial additional work and the reason for the additional work (ie, increased intensity, time, technical difficulty of procedure, severity of patient's condition, physical and mental effort required). note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 24 | Unrelated evaluation and management service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during a postoperative period: the physician or other qualified health care professional may need to indicate that an evaluation and management service was performed during a postoperative period for a reason(s) unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 24 to the appropriate level of e/m service. | 52 | Reduced services: under certain circumstances a service or procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the discretion of the physician or other qualified health care professional. under these circumstances the service provided can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 52, signifying that the service is reduced. this provides a means of reporting reduced services without disturbing the identification of the basic service. note: for hospital outpatient reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use). | 53 | Discontinued procedure: under certain circumstances, the physician or other qualified health care professional may elect to terminate a surgical or diagnostic procedure. due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient, it may be necessary to indicate that a surgical or diagnostic procedure was started but discontinued. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 53 to the code reported by the individual for the discontinued procedure. note: this modifier is not used to report the elective cancellation of a procedure prior to the patient's anesthesia induction and/or surgical preparation in the operating suite. for outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (asc) reporting of a previously scheduled procedure/service that is partially reduced or cancelled as a result of extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient prior to or after administration of anesthesia, see modifiers 73 and 74 (see modifiers approved for asc hospital outpatient use). | 73 | Discontinued out-patient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (asc) procedure prior to the administration of anesthesia: due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well being of the patient, the physician may cancel a surgical or diagnostic procedure subsequent to the patient's surgical preparation (including sedation when provided, and being taken to the room where the procedure is to be performed), but prior to the administration of anesthesia (local, regional block(s) or general). under these circumstances, the intended service that is prepared for but cancelled can be reported by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 73. note: the elective cancellation of a service prior to the administration of anesthesia and/or surgical preparation of the patient should not be reported. for physician reporting of a discontinued procedure, see modifier 53. | 77 | Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a basic procedure or service was repeated by another physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 77 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | AG | Primary physician | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | CG | Policy criteria applied | E1 | Upper left, eyelid | E2 | Lower left, eyelid | E3 | Upper right, eyelid | E4 | Lower right, eyelid | F1 | Left hand, second digit | F2 | Left hand, third digit | F4 | Left hand, fifth digit | F5 | Right hand, thumb | F6 | Right hand, second digit | F7 | Right hand, third digit | F8 | Right hand, fourth digit | FA | Left hand, thumb | G6 | Esrd patient for whom less than six dialysis sessions have been provided in a month | GA | Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | PD | Diagnostic or related non diagnostic item or service provided in a wholly owned or operated entity to a patient who is admitted as an inpatient within 3 days | PO | Excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | Q5 | Service furnished under a reciprocal billing arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | SA | Nurse practitioner rendering service in collaboration with a physician | T5 | Right foot, great toe | T6 | Right foot, second digit | T7 | Right foot, third digit | T8 | Right foot, fourth digit | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | XP | Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2011-01-01 | Changed | Short description changed. |
| 2007-01-01 | Added | First appearance in code book in 2007. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.