2025 CPT code 17312
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgical Procedures on the Integumentary System - Mohs Micrographic Surgery Procedures Surgery Feed
This code represents each additional stage of Mohs micrographic surgery after the first stage (CPT 17311), up to 5 tissue blocks.It's an add-on code and requires the primary procedure code.
Modifiers may be applicable depending on the circumstances of the procedure.Examples include modifier 59 (distinct procedural service), modifiers to indicate the laterality or other specifics of the surgery, and modifiers that identify technical components. Consult the CPT manual and payer-specific guidelines.
Mohs micrographic surgery is medically necessary for complex or ill-defined skin cancers where precise removal of cancerous tissue with clear margins is crucial to minimize recurrence.It is particularly useful for cancers on the face, ears, hands, feet, or other cosmetically sensitive areas.
The clinical responsibility lies with the Mohs surgeon, who performs the surgical excision, mapping, and microscopic examination of the tissue specimens.They are responsible for ensuring complete removal of cancerous tissue. The pathologist is responsible for creating the histopathologic preparations. If a pathologist other than the surgeon performs these services, they must be reported separately.
- Surgery
- Surgery > Surgical Procedures on the Integumentary System > Mohs Micrographic Surgery Procedures
In simple words: This code is for extra steps in a special type of skin cancer surgery called Mohs surgery.If the doctor needs to remove and check more than one layer of skin, this code shows they did additional work beyond the first step.
CPT code 17312 describes each additional stage performed in a Mohs micrographic surgery procedure, following the initial stage (CPT 17311).Mohs surgery involves the layer-by-layer removal and microscopic examination of cancerous skin tissue until clear margins are achieved. This code is used for billing purposes for each additional stage beyond the first, up to a maximum of 5 tissue blocks. The procedure includes tissue excision, mapping, color-coding of specimens, microscopic examination by the surgeon, and histopathologic preparation with routine stains (e.g., hematoxylin and eosin, toluidine blue).The surgery may be performed on various body parts, including the head, neck, hands, feet, and genitalia, and may involve structures such as muscle, cartilage, bone, tendon, major nerves, or vessels.This code should only be reported in conjunction with 17311.
Example 1: A patient presents with a recurrent basal cell carcinoma on the nose. The Mohs surgeon performs the first stage (17311), removing and examining three tissue blocks.Additional cancerous tissue is found, necessitating two further stages (2 x 17312), each involving the removal and analysis of two tissue blocks. The final margins are clear of cancer., A patient with a large squamous cell carcinoma on the lower lip undergoes Mohs surgery.The first stage (17311) requires the analysis of five tissue blocks. Further stages are needed (up to 4 x 17312) to clear the margins. The surgeon documents the number of blocks processed and examined in each stage., A patient presents with a suspicious lesion on their hand. A biopsy is performed on the same day (11102 + 88331-59).Mohs micrographic surgery is then performed (17311 + 17312). Additional stages (17312) are required, resulting in the removal of 7 tissue blocks in total.The wound is closed using local flaps. (Separate codes for closure are used.)
Detailed operative report including the number of stages performed, the number of tissue blocks processed and examined in each stage, the location and size of the lesion, the microscopic description of the tissue, the final margins, and the method of wound closure.Preoperative and postoperative images are also necessary for complete documentation. Pathology reports for each stage should be included.
** This code is specifically for additional stages beyond the first stage of Mohs surgery.It is an add-on code and should not be used independently.The number of additional stages and the number of tissue blocks examined in each stage should be clearly documented in the medical record. Accurate coding depends on precise documentation, and the number of tissue blocks processed in each additional stage must be clearly documented.
- Revenue Code: P5A (Ambulatory Procedures - Skin)
- RVU: Information not available in provided source.Consult the AMA CPT codebook or a medical billing resource for RVU information.
- Global Days: Information not available in provided source. This would depend on the facility and payer policies.
- Payment Status: Active
- Modifier TC rule: Modifier TC (technical component) is not typically applied to CPT code 17312. The entire service is considered to be performed by the surgeon.
- Fee Schedule: Information not available in provided sources. Consult the AMA CPT codebook or a medical billing resource for historical fee schedule information.
- Specialties:Dermatology, Plastic Surgery
- Place of Service:Office, Ambulatory Surgical Center, Hospital Outpatient Department