© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Radical resection of a tumor, specifically a soft tissue tumor located in the thigh or knee area, is a surgical procedure denoted by CPT® Code 27329. This procedure is indicated for tumors that are less than 5 cm in size and may include various types of soft tissue, such as muscles, tendons, fat, blood vessels, lymph vessels, nerves, and the tissues surrounding joints. The term "radical resection" refers to the comprehensive removal of the tumor along with a significant margin of surrounding healthy tissue to ensure complete excision of any malignant cells. While this procedure is primarily performed for malignant neoplasms, such as sarcomas, it may also be necessary for benign tumors or those of uncertain nature. The surgical approach typically involves making an incision over the tumor or creating a skin flap to access the tumor effectively. The goal of the procedure is to excise the tumor en bloc, which means removing it in one piece along with a wide margin of healthy tissue to minimize the risk of recurrence. Additionally, a frozen section may be performed during the procedure to assess the margins for tumor cells, ensuring that all cancerous tissue has been removed. If any malignancy is detected at the margins, further tissue removal is conducted until clear margins are achieved. Post-operative care may include the placement of drains as needed, and the surgical wound is usually closed in layers, or reconstructive procedures may be performed if necessary.
© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
The radical resection of soft tissue tumors in the thigh or knee area, as described by CPT® Code 27329, is indicated for the following conditions:
The procedure for radical resection of a soft tissue tumor in the thigh or knee area involves several critical steps:
After the radical resection procedure, patients may require specific post-operative care to ensure proper recovery. This includes monitoring for any signs of infection or complications at the surgical site. The placement of drains, if utilized, will be managed to facilitate fluid drainage and minimize swelling. Patients may also need follow-up appointments to assess healing and to discuss the results of the frozen section analysis. Depending on the findings, further treatment or monitoring may be necessary, especially if malignancy was detected. Pain management and rehabilitation may also be part of the recovery process to restore function and mobility in the affected area.
| Short Descr | RESECT THIGH/KNEE TUM < 5 CM | Medium Descr | RAD RESECT TUMOR SOFT TISSUE THIGH/KNEE <5CM | Long Descr | Radical resection of tumor (eg, sarcoma), soft tissue of thigh or knee area; less than 5 cm | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | 090 - Major Surgery | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 0 - Physician Service Code | Multiple Procedures (51) | 2 - Standard payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 1 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures applies. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 2 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery does not apply to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 1 - Co-surgeons could be paid, though supporting documentation is required... | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Hospital Part B services paid through a comprehensive APC | ASC Payment Indicator | Non office-based surgical procedure added in CY 2008 or later; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 2 - Surgery | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P3D - Major procedure, orthopedic - other | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 160 - Other therapeutic procedures on muscles and tendons |
| 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. | 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). | 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. | 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. | 62 | Two surgeons: when 2 surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct part(s) of a procedure, each surgeon should report his/her distinct operative work by adding modifier 62 to the procedure code and any associated add-on code(s) for that procedure as long as both surgeons continue to work together as primary surgeons. each surgeon should report the co-surgery once using the same procedure code. if additional procedure(s) (including add-on procedure(s) are performed during the same surgical session, separate code(s) may also be reported with modifier 62 added. note: if a co-surgeon acts as an assistant in the performance of additional procedure(s), other than those reported with the modifier 62, during the same surgical session, those services may be reported using separate procedure code(s) with modifier 80 or modifier 82 added, as appropriate. | 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.) | 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.) | 80 | Assistant surgeon: surgical assistant services may be identified by adding modifier 80 to the usual procedure number(s). | 82 | Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident surgeon not available): the unavailability of a qualified resident surgeon is a prerequisite for use of modifier 82 appended to the usual procedure code number(s). | AS | Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services for assistant at surgery | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | LT | Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2014-01-01 | Changed | Description Changed |
| 2010-01-01 | Changed | Code description changed. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.