2025 CPT code 32506
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Respiratory System Feed
Thoracotomy with therapeutic wedge resection of lung mass or nodule, each additional resection on the same side.
Medical necessity for the additional wedge resection must be supported by documentation of the presence of additional lesions requiring removal during the same operative session.
The surgeon is responsible for performing the additional wedge resection, repairing the lung tissue, closing the surgical wound, and managing any drainage tubes.
In simple words: During surgery on your lung, after a wedge-shaped piece has already been removed, the surgeon removes another wedge from the same lung, if necessary. This is done through the same incision in your chest. Tubes might be left in your chest to drain any fluids, air, or blood.
This add-on code describes the procedure of excising an additional portion of lung on the same side after the initial wedge resection through an open surgical incision (thoracotomy). It is performed during the same operative session and involves removing another small wedge-shaped portion of abnormal lung tissue and repairing the remaining lung area.The procedure is typically followed by closure of the surgical wound and possible insertion of chest tubes for drainage. It is reported in addition to the primary procedure code (32505).
Example 1: A patient undergoing thoracotomy for a lung mass has an initial wedge resection. Intraoperative pathology reveals additional suspicious tissue in the same lobe, requiring a second wedge resection. Code 32505 is reported for the primary resection and 32506 for the additional resection., During a thoracotomy, a surgeon performs a wedge resection for a lung nodule. Further exploration reveals another nodule in the same lobe necessitating an additional wedge resection. Code 32505 is reported for the first resection and 32506 for the second., A patient with multiple lung nodules in the same lobe undergoes thoracotomy. The surgeon performs multiple wedge resections during the same procedure. Code 32505 is reported for the first resection, and 32506 is reported for each additional wedge resection.
Documentation should include operative report detailing the primary and additional wedge resections, location of the lesions within the lung, intraoperative findings, and any complications. Pathology reports should describe the tissue removed from each resection.
** This code is for an "ipsilateral" additional resection, meaning it is performed on the same side of the body as the primary procedure.
- Revenue Code: P1G - Major Procedure - Other
- Specialties:Thoracic Surgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital