2025 CPT code 61520
Effective Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Nervous System Feed
Craniectomy for excision of brain tumor, infratentorial or posterior fossa; cerebellopontine angle tumor
Modifiers may be applicable to indicate specific circumstances, such as increased procedural services (modifier 22) or multiple procedures (modifier 51).Consult modifier guidelines for appropriate use.
Medical necessity is established by the presence of a symptomatic brain tumor that requires surgical excision.The documentation must clearly demonstrate the clinical rationale for the procedure and its impact on the patient's health and quality of life.
The neurosurgeon is responsible for performing the craniectomy, excising the tumor, and managing any complications.This includes preoperative planning, intraoperative decision-making, and postoperative care.
In simple words: The surgeon removes a part of the skull to reach a tumor located at the back and bottom of the brain, often near the brainstem (cerebellopontine angle). This area is called the infratentorial or posterior fossa region. After removing the tumor, the skull is repaired.
This procedure involves the surgical removal of a portion of the skull to access and excise a brain tumor located in the infratentorial region or posterior fossa, specifically a cerebellopontine angle tumor.The surgeon makes an incision in the scalp, creates a bone flap or performs a craniectomy to expose the brain.The tumor is carefully dissected and removed.The bone flap is then replaced, or the skull defect is addressed, and the scalp is closed.
Example 1: A patient presents with symptoms consistent with an acoustic neuroma (a type of cerebellopontine angle tumor).Imaging confirms the diagnosis, and a craniectomy is performed to remove the tumor., A patient with a meningioma in the posterior fossa undergoes a craniectomy for tumor excision. Due to the tumor's location and size, a larger craniotomy is necessary to ensure complete removal., A child is diagnosed with a medulloblastoma in the cerebellum. A craniectomy is performed to resect the tumor, allowing for subsequent adjuvant therapies.
Documentation should include operative reports detailing the size and location of the tumor, the extent of resection, any complications encountered, and postoperative care plans.Preoperative imaging studies, such as MRI or CT scans, are essential for surgical planning.
** This code specifically applies to cerebellopontine angle tumors.For other infratentorial or posterior fossa tumors, other codes may be more appropriate. Please consult iFrameAI for most recent updates.
- Revenue Code: P1G
- Specialties:Neurosurgery
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital