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The decalcification procedure, represented by CPT® Code 88311, is a specialized technique used in the preparation of surgical or other specimens that contain calcium, such as bone, bone marrow, or other calcified tissues. This procedure is essential for enabling detailed examination of these specimens under a microscope, as the presence of calcium can obscure cellular details critical for diagnosis. The process begins with the specimen being immersed in an acid solution, which effectively dissolves the calcium content. Following this initial step, ion exchange is performed, where the specimen is treated with another solution designed to remove calcium ions. This dual approach ensures that the specimen is adequately decalcified, allowing for the subsequent preparation and examination of the tissue. The decalcified specimen can then be processed for histological analysis, facilitating accurate pathological evaluation and diagnosis.
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The decalcification procedure is indicated for specimens that contain significant amounts of calcium, which may hinder the microscopic evaluation of cellular structures. The following conditions or situations typically warrant the use of this procedure:
The decalcification procedure involves several critical steps to ensure the effective removal of calcium from the specimen. Each step is essential for preparing the tissue for accurate examination.
After the decalcification procedure, the specimen is typically processed for histological examination. It is important to ensure that the specimen is adequately decalcified, as any remaining calcium can obscure cellular details and lead to diagnostic inaccuracies. The expected recovery time for the specimen is minimal, as the focus is on the preparation of the tissue for analysis rather than patient recovery. Additional considerations may include proper labeling and documentation of the decalcified specimen to ensure accurate tracking and reporting during the pathological evaluation process.
| Short Descr | DECALCIFY TISSUE | Medium Descr | DECALCIFICATION PROCEDURE | Long Descr | Decalcification procedure (List separately in addition to code for surgical pathology examination) | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No 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) | 0 - 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 | Items and Services Packaged into APC Rates | Type of Service (TOS) | 5 - Diagnostic Laboratory | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | T1G - Lab tests - other (Medicare fee schedule) | MUE | 4 | CCS Clinical Classification | 234 - Pathology |
This is an add-on code that must be used in conjunction with one of these primary codes.
| 17311 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC T ASC P2 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; first stage, up to 5 tissue blocks | 17313 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC T ASC P2 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), of the trunk, arms, or legs; first stage, up to 5 tissue blocks | 88302 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC Q1 PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Level II - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination Appendix, incidental Fallopian tube, sterilization Fingers/toes, amputation, traumatic Foreskin, newborn Hernia sac, any location Hydrocele sac Nerve Skin, plastic repair Sympathetic ganglion Testis, castration Vaginal mucosa, incidental Vas deferens, sterilization | 88304 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC Q1 PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Level III - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination Abortion, induced Abscess Aneurysm - arterial/ventricular Anus, tag Appendix, other than incidental Artery, atheromatous plaque Bartholin's gland cyst Bone fragment(s), other than pathologic fracture Bursa/synovial cyst Carpal tunnel tissue Cartilage, shavings Cholesteatoma Colon, colostomy stoma Conjunctiva - biopsy/pterygium Cornea Diverticulum - esophagus/small intestine Dupuytren's contracture tissue Femoral head, other than fracture Fissure/fistula Foreskin, other than newborn Gallbladder Ganglion cyst Hematoma Hemorrhoids Hydatid of Morgagni Intervertebral disc Joint, loose body Meniscus Mucocele, salivary Neuroma - Morton's/traumatic Pilonidal cyst/sinus Polyps, inflammatory - nasal/sinusoidal Skin - cyst/tag/debridement Soft tissue, debridement Soft tissue, lipoma Spermatocele Tendon/tendon sheath Testicular appendage Thrombus or embolus Tonsil and/or adenoids Varicocele Vas deferens, other than sterilization Vein, varicosity | 88305 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC Q1 PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Level IV - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination Abortion - spontaneous/missed Artery, biopsy Bone marrow, biopsy Bone exostosis Brain/meninges, other than for tumor resection Breast, biopsy, not requiring microscopic evaluation of surgical margins Breast, reduction mammoplasty Bronchus, biopsy Cell block, any source Cervix, biopsy Colon, biopsy Duodenum, biopsy Endocervix, curettings/biopsy Endometrium, curettings/biopsy Esophagus, biopsy Extremity, amputation, traumatic Fallopian tube, biopsy Fallopian tube, ectopic pregnancy Femoral head, fracture Fingers/toes, amputation, non-traumatic Gingiva/oral mucosa, biopsy Heart valve Joint, resection Kidney, biopsy Larynx, biopsy Leiomyoma(s), uterine myomectomy - without uterus Lip, biopsy/wedge resection Lung, transbronchial biopsy Lymph node, biopsy Muscle, biopsy Nasal mucosa, biopsy Nasopharynx/oropharynx, biopsy Nerve, biopsy Odontogenic/dental cyst Omentum, biopsy Ovary with or without tube, non-neoplastic Ovary, biopsy/wedge resection Parathyroid gland Peritoneum, biopsy Pituitary tumor Placenta, other than third trimester Pleura/pericardium - biopsy/tissue Polyp, cervical/endometrial Polyp, colorectal Polyp, stomach/small intestine Prostate, needle biopsy Prostate, TUR Salivary gland, biopsy Sinus, paranasal biopsy Skin, other than cyst/tag/debridement/plastic repair Small intestine, biopsy Soft tissue, other than tumor/mass/lipoma/debridement Spleen Stomach, biopsy Synovium Testis, other than tumor/biopsy/castration Thyroglossal duct/brachial cleft cyst Tongue, biopsy Tonsil, biopsy Trachea, biopsy Ureter, biopsy Urethra, biopsy Urinary bladder, biopsy Uterus, with or without tubes and ovaries, for prolapse Vagina, biopsy Vulva/labia, biopsy | 88307 | MPFS Status: Active Code APC Q2 Physician Quality Reporting PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Level V - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination Adrenal, resection Bone - biopsy/curettings Bone fragment(s), pathologic fracture Brain, biopsy Brain/meninges, tumor resection Breast, excision of lesion, requiring microscopic evaluation of surgical margins Breast, mastectomy - partial/simple Cervix, conization Colon, segmental resection, other than for tumor Extremity, amputation, non-traumatic Eye, enucleation Kidney, partial/total nephrectomy Larynx, partial/total resection Liver, biopsy - needle/wedge Liver, partial resection Lung, wedge biopsy Lymph nodes, regional resection Mediastinum, mass Myocardium, biopsy Odontogenic tumor Ovary with or without tube, neoplastic Pancreas, biopsy Placenta, third trimester Prostate, except radical resection Salivary gland Sentinel lymph node Small intestine, resection, other than for tumor Soft tissue mass (except lipoma) - biopsy/simple excision Stomach - subtotal/total resection, other than for tumor Testis, biopsy Thymus, tumor Thyroid, total/lobe Ureter, resection Urinary bladder, TUR Uterus, with or without tubes and ovaries, other than neoplastic/prolapse | 88309 | Changed Code for 2025 MPFS Status: Active Code APC Q2 Physician Quality Reporting PUB 100 CPT Assistant Article Level VI - Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination Bone resection Breast, mastectomy - with regional lymph nodes Colon, segmental resection for tumor Colon, total resection Esophagus, partial/total resection Extremity, disarticulation Fetus, with dissection Larynx, partial/total resection - with regional lymph nodes Lung - total/lobe/segment resection Pancreas, total/subtotal resection Prostate, radical resection Small intestine, resection for tumor Soft tissue tumor, extensive resection Stomach - subtotal/total resection for tumor Testis, tumor Tongue/tonsil - resection for tumor Urinary bladder, partial/total resection Uterus, with or without tubes and ovaries, neoplastic Vulva, total/subtotal resection | CCCCC | 1 |
| 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | TC | Technical component; under certain circumstances, a charge may be made for the technical component alone; under those circumstances the technical component charge is identified by adding modifier 'tc' to the usual procedure number; technical component charges are institutional charges and not billed separately by physicians; however, portable x-ray suppliers only bill for technical component and should utilize modifier tc; the charge data from portable x-ray suppliers will then be used to build customary and prevailing profiles | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | 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. | X5 | Diagnostic services requested by another clinician: for reporting services by a clinician who furnishes care to the patient only as requested by another clinician or subsequent and related services requested by another clinician; this modifier is reported for patient relationships that may not be adequately captured by the above alternative categories; reporting clinician service examples include but are not limited to, the radiologist's interpretation of an imaging study requested by another clinician | 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 | TA | Left foot, great toe | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | 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 | 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. | T5 | Right foot, great toe | GA | Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy, individual case | 91 | Repeat clinical diagnostic laboratory test: in the course of treatment of the patient, it may be necessary to repeat the same laboratory test on the same day to obtain subsequent (multiple) test results. under these circumstances, the laboratory test performed can be identified by its usual procedure number and the addition of modifier 91. note: this modifier may not be used when tests are rerun to confirm initial results; due to testing problems with specimens or equipment; or for any other reason when a normal, one-time, reportable result is all that is required. this modifier may not be used when other code(s) describe a series of test results (eg, glucose tolerance tests, evocative/suppression testing). this modifier may only be used for laboratory test(s) performed more than once on the same day on the same patient. | T1 | Left foot, second digit | 90 | Reference (outside) laboratory: when laboratory procedures are performed by a party other than the treating or reporting physician or other qualified health care professional, the procedure may be identified by adding modifier 90 to the usual procedure number. | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | T2 | Left foot, third digit | T4 | Left foot, fifth digit | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | 27 | Multiple outpatient hospital e/m encounters on the same date: for hospital outpatient reporting purposes, utilization of hospital resources related to separate and distinct e/m encounters performed in multiple outpatient hospital settings on the same date may be reported by adding modifier 27 to each appropriate level outpatient and/or emergency department e/m code(s). this modifier provides a means of reporting circumstances involving evaluation and management services provided by physician(s) in more than one (multiple) outpatient hospital setting(s) (eg, hospital emergency department, clinic). note: this modifier is not to be used for physician reporting of multiple e/m services performed by the same physician on the same date. for physician reporting of all outpatient evaluation and management services provided by the same physician on the same date and performed in multiple outpatient setting(s) (eg, hospital emergency department, clinic), see evaluation and management, emergency department, or preventive medicine services codes. | 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. | 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.) | 95 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system: synchronous telemedicine service is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. the totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that would be sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction. modifier 95 may only be appended to the services listed in appendix p. appendix p is the list of cpt codes for services that are typically performed face-to-face, but may be rendered via a real-time (synchronous) interactive audio and video telecommunications system. | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | GX | Notice of liability issued, voluntary under payer policy | GY | Item or service statutorily excluded, does not meet the definition of any medicare benefit or, for non-medicare insurers, is not a contract benefit | LT | Left side (used to identify procedures performed on the left side of the body) | PC | Wrong surgery or other invasive procedure on patient | PO | Excepted service provided at an off-campus, outpatient, provider-based department of a hospital | Q0 | Investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | QJ | Services/items provided to a prisoner or patient in state or local custody, however the state or local government, as applicable, meets the requirements in 42 cfr 411.4 (b) | RT | Right side (used to identify procedures performed on the right side of the body) | T3 | Left foot, fourth digit | T6 | Right foot, second digit | T7 | Right foot, third digit | T8 | Right foot, fourth digit | T9 | Right foot, fifth digit | XP | Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner |
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