Summary & Overview
CPT 10140: Incision and Drainage of Hematoma, Seroma, or Fluid Collection
CPT code 10140 represents an incision and drainage procedure for hematomas, seromas, or other fluid collections in soft tissue. The code covers the act of incising the collection and bluntly penetrating it to permit evacuation of accumulated fluid. This procedure is commonly performed across ambulatory surgery centers, emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and office-based settings and is relevant to surgical, dermatologic, and plastic surgery practices.
Key payers in the national landscape include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for use of the code, common diagnostic indications, and related procedure codes. The publication summarizes typical sites of service and the clinical scenarios where 10140 is applied, and it highlights how the code relates to nearby CPT codes for incision and drainage of localized collections.
This resource is intended to provide clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts with concise guidance on the clinical scope of CPT code 10140, common use cases, and where it sits within procedural coding for soft-tissue fluid evacuation. Data not available in the input includes detailed payer-specific reimbursement rates and utilization benchmarks.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 10140 describes the surgical procedure in which a provider makes an incision into a hematoma, seroma, or other fluid collection and bluntly penetrates it to allow evacuation of the fluid. This procedure is typically categorized as an incision and drainage service.
Service type: Surgical incision and drainage
Typical site of service: Procedure performed in an ambulatory surgery center, outpatient clinic, emergency department, or office-based procedure room
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old patient presents to the ambulatory surgery center with a painful, fluctuant subcutaneous collection on the forearm after minor trauma 3 days earlier, progressively worsening with erythema and localized tenderness. Examination suggests a cutaneous abscess; point-of-care ultrasound confirms a discrete fluid collection. The provider discusses incision and drainage and obtains informed consent. The patient is positioned on the procedure table, the site is prepped and draped in a sterile fashion, and local anesthesia is administered. A small incision is made into the abscess cavity, and the provider bluntly penetrates and breaks loculations to evacuate purulent material. Wound cultures are obtained as indicated, copious irrigation is performed, and a small wick or packing may be placed if needed. Post-procedure instructions include wound care, signs of worsening infection, and follow-up with the surgical or dermatology clinic. Typical clinical settings include an outpatient clinic procedure room, urgent care, emergency department, or ambulatory surgical center, performed by surgeons, dermatologists, or emergency physicians trained in minor procedural drainage.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
25 | Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the day of a procedure | Use when a distinct E/M visit is documented in addition to 10140 on the same day (separate history/exam/medical decision-making). |