Excisions

There are excisions codes for benign or malignant lesions.
Excision codes require full thickness excision.
The intent is to remove the entire lesion with margins.
The excised diameter includes the size of the lesion plus the margins.
All lesion excision codes include a simple repair, when performed.

Excision codes require that the excision must remove the entire lesion, including its full thickness through the dermis, with margins of normal tissue around the lesion. Which excision code you use is based on the excised diameter, which includes the lesion’s largest diameter plus the narrowest excised margins.

If you remove the entire lesion, but you do so without extending through the dermis (full thickness), a shave code may be more appropriate.

Benign lesions

Use the following codes to report the excision of benign lesions based on excised diameter and anatomic location of the lesion.

Lesions of the trunk, arms, or legs

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11400	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11401	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11402	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11403	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11404	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11406	Over 4.0 cm

Lesions of the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11420	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11421	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11422	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11423	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11424	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11426	Over 4.0 cm

Lesions of the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11440	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11441	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11442	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11443	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11444	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11446	Over 4.0 cm

Malignant lesions

Use the following codes to report excision of malignant lesions. These codes are also based on excised diameter and anatomic location of the lesion.

Lesions of the trunk, arms, or legs

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11600	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11601	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11602	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11603	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11604	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11606	Over 4.0 cm

Lesions of the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11620	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11621	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11622	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11623	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11624	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11626	Over 4.0 cm

Lesions of the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane

CPT Code	Defined by excised diameter	Coding rule
11640	0.5 cm or less	Each code represents a single lesion, do not add the excised diameter of multiple lesions together. Report a separate code for each lesion treated during the encounter. Modifier 59 should be appended to each additional lesion excised.
11641	0.6 to 1.0 cm
11642	1.1 to 2.0 cm
11643	2.1 to 3.0 cm
11644	3.1 to 4.0 cm
11646	Over 4.0 cm

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