2025 CPT code 11600
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Integumentary System Feed
Excision of a malignant lesion, including margins, from the trunk, arms, or legs, with an excised diameter of 0.5 cm or less.
Modifiers may be applicable. For example, modifier 59 is used to distinguish distinct procedures. Modifier 58 is used for staged or related procedures during the postoperative period.
Medical necessity for excision of malignant skin lesions is based on the diagnosis of a malignant neoplasm requiring surgical removal.
The physician prepares the site, administers local anesthesia, excises the lesion with appropriate margins, controls bleeding, and closes the wound with simple sutures. They may also send the specimen for pathological evaluation.
In simple words: Removal of a small skin cancer (0.5 cm or less) from the body, arms, or legs.The doctor numbs the area, cuts out the cancer with a small edge of healthy skin around it, and then stitches the skin back together.
Excision of a malignant lesion, including margins, from the skin of the trunk, arms, or legs. The excised diameter, which includes the lesion and the narrowest required margin, is 0.5 cm or less. This procedure involves full-thickness removal of the lesion and simple closure.
Example 1: A patient presents with a 0.4 cm basal cell carcinoma on the arm. The physician excises the lesion with a 0.1 cm margin, resulting in a total excised diameter of 0.5 cm, and closes with simple sutures. Code 11600 is reported., A patient has a 0.3 cm melanoma on the leg.The physician determines a 0.2 cm margin is necessary. The total excised diameter is 0.5 cm, and the lesion is excised and closed. 11600 is reported., A patient has two malignant lesions excised. One lesion is 0.5 cm and located on the trunk, and the second is 1.0 cm and is on the arm. Code 11600 is reported for the first lesion, and 11601 with modifier 59 is reported for the second lesion to indicate a distinct procedural service.
Documentation should include lesion size and location, margins excised, method of closure, and pathology report.
- Global Days : Global days vary depending on the payer and place of service.
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Surgical Oncology
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center