Summary & Overview
CPT 0581T: Percutaneous Cryoablation of Small Malignant Breast Tumors
CPT code 0581T describes percutaneous cryoablation of one or more small malignant breast tumors using extreme cold delivered through a needle. The code captures a minimally invasive, image-guided ablative procedure that can offer an alternative to open surgical excision for selected patients with localized breast malignancy. Nationally, the code is relevant as payers and facilities consider coverage, site-of-service use, and evolving clinical adoption of thermal ablation techniques.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of what the code represents, typical settings where the service is delivered, and the clinical context for use. The publication provides benchmarks and coverage patterns where available, summarizes policy updates affecting minimally invasive breast tumor ablation, and highlights coding and billing considerations tied to service lines and site-of-service designation.
The content is intended to inform clinical administrators, coding and billing staff, and policy analysts about the role of CPT code 0581T in modern breast cancer care, typical utilization settings, and the payer landscape relevant to adoption and reimbursement.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0581T describes a minimally invasive, percutaneous cryotherapy ablation procedure in which the provider destroys one or more small malignant tumors in a single breast using extreme cold delivered through a needle. The procedure is a targeted tumor ablation technique for localized breast malignancy.
Service type: Image-guided percutaneous cryoablation (minimally invasive surgical procedure)
Typical site of service: Outpatient ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department, often performed with imaging guidance such as ultrasound or CT for needle placement.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 62-year-old woman with a newly diagnosed small, localized primary breast carcinoma identified on screening mammography and confirmed by core needle biopsy. The tumor is unifocal, ≤2 cm, and located peripherally in one breast with imaging (ultrasound and/or MRI) showing no multifocal disease and no clinically suspicious axillary nodes. After multidisciplinary review, the patient elects a minimally invasive, breast-conserving approach using percutaneous cryoablation as definitive therapy or as a bridge to surgery for medical comorbidity reduction of tumor burden.
Pre-procedure workflow includes: clinical evaluation by a breast surgeon or interventional radiologist, imaging localization with ultrasound and/or mammography, review of pathology confirming malignant histology, informed consent discussing risks/benefits and alternatives, and pre-procedure anesthesia assessment. On the day of service the patient undergoes image-guided percutaneous placement of one or more cryoprobes into the tumor under local anesthesia with conscious sedation or monitored anesthesia care. Ablation is performed with freeze–thaw cycles using cryotherapy to achieve tumor necrosis. Post-procedure imaging is used to document probe position and immediate ablation zone. The patient is observed in recovery and provided discharge instructions for wound care and follow-up imaging and oncology/surgical follow-up. This procedure is typically performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department and billed using the cryoablation breast tumor code 0581T for one breast.
Coding Specifications
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