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CPT 19105: Ultrasound-Guided Cryoablation of Breast Fibroadenoma

CPT code 19105 covers ultrasound-guided percutaneous cryoablation of a breast fibroadenoma, a minimally invasive procedure that destroys a benign solid breast tumor using a cryoprobe. This code is relevant nationally as clinicians and payers evaluate options that may offer less-invasive alternatives to surgical excision for selected patients with symptomatic or biopsy-proven fibroadenomas. The code signals clinical intent (image-guided ablative therapy) and is important for billing, coverage policy development, and procedure tracking.

Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context and typical sites of service, payer coverage considerations, common modifiers, and guidance on documentation elements linked to the service description. The publication summarizes benchmarks and policy updates where available and highlights areas where explicit payer guidance or national coding consensus may be limited.

The report is intended for clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts seeking concise information on coding and clinical context for image-guided percutaneous cryoablation of breast fibroadenomas. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 19105 describes a percutaneous cryoablation of a breast fibroadenoma performed under ultrasound guidance. The procedure uses a cryoprobe to destroy a solid, benign breast tumor (fibroadenoma) with image guidance to ensure accurate targeting.

Service type: Image-guided percutaneous ablative procedure

Typical site of service: Outpatient procedure setting, commonly performed in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department with ultrasound guidance and local or regional anesthesia.

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CPT 19105: Ultrasound-Guided Cryoablation of Breast Fibroadenoma

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Image-guided percutaneous ablative procedure

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 34-year-old woman presents with a palpable, well-circumscribed breast mass previously proven by core needle biopsy to be a benign fibroadenoma. The mass measures 1.8 cm on diagnostic ultrasound and the patient requests a minimally invasive, cosmetically favorable option for lesion removal. The breast surgeon schedules an outpatient ultrasound-guided cryoablation procedure using a cryoprobe under local anesthesia with conscious sedation as needed. The clinical workflow includes pre-procedure imaging confirmation and consent, time-out and sterile preparation in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department, ultrasound localization of the target lesion, percutaneous cryoprobe insertion, two freeze–thaw cycles to ablate the fibroadenoma under real-time ultrasound visualization, post-procedure hemostasis and dressing, brief recovery monitoring, and discharge with return precautions and follow-up arranged for imaging at 3–6 months.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier — default status	Use when no specific modifier applies to the claim.
`11`	Primary procedure	Use when this cryoablation is the primary procedure performed during the encounter.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the procedure required substantially greater work than typical (e.g., unusually complex localization or prolonged time).
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the professional (physician) component separate from the facility or technical component.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when both breasts are treated in the same session and payer allows bilateral reporting for this service.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure was partially reduced or not completed as planned (e.g., aborted due to patient intolerance).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure was started but discontinued for patient safety reasons.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR for related procedure by same physician	Use when the patient requires an unplanned, same-day return to address a complication related to the cryoablation.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon performs services and the payer accepts assistant surgeon modifiers.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services	Use when a qualifying non-physician practitioner bills under their own NPI for allowable services.
`QX`	CRNA service with anesthesiologist absent	Use when a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) furnishes anesthesia without medical direction by an anesthesiologist and separate CRNA billing rules apply.
`QY`	Medical direction of one CRNA by physician	Use when a physician medically directs one CRNA providing anesthesia for the procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207XS0127X`	Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery	Breast procedures occasionally performed by surgeons with breast-focused training; included as a potential performer.
`207X00000X`	General Surgery	Most common surgical specialty performing percutaneous breast procedures and minimally invasive excisions.
`207XP0016X`	Plastic Surgery	Performs procedures when cosmetic considerations or oncoplastic approaches are needed.
`207RC0000X`	Radiology, Diagnostic	Interventional radiologists frequently perform image-guided percutaneous cryoablations.
`363L00000X`	Physician Assistant	Commonly assists in clinic, procedure room, and peri-procedural care.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`D24.9`	Benign neoplasm of breast, unspecified	Directly relevant — fibroadenoma is a benign breast neoplasm often coded to `D24` variants when site is unspecified.
`N63`	Unspecified lump in breast	Used when a palpable breast lump is documented prior to definitive histologic diagnosis or when localization is primary.
`R92.8`	Other abnormal and inconclusive findings on diagnostic imaging of breast	Applied when imaging finds an abnormality requiring percutaneous treatment or further management.
`Z48.02`	Encounter for removal of surgical wound dressing; not routinely used but available for post-procedural care	Used for documented follow-up wound or dressing management after percutaneous procedures when indicated.
`Z51.81`	Encounter for therapeutic drug administration	Used when peri-procedural therapeutic agents are administered and require coding for the encounter context.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., for diagnostic or therapeutic injection)	Performed to localize the fibroadenoma and guide cryoprobe placement under real-time ultrasound.
`19083`	Biopsy, percutaneous, breast, with placement of needle-localization device(s) when performed; with imaging guidance	May precede cryoablation if a prior core biopsy or localization is required in the same session.
`20550`	Injection(s); single tendon sheath, or ligament, or trigger point — therapeutic (included as example of injection code)	Local anesthetic or corticosteroid injections are rarely used peri-procedurally for pain control; included only when adjunctive injections occur.
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 15 minutes	Commonly used for pre-procedure evaluation or post-procedure follow-up visits in the outpatient setting.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Performed when laboratory testing (e.g., coagulation studies) is obtained pre-procedure.

CPT 19110: Excision of Single Lactiferous Duct or Papilloma

CPT-19112-EXCISION-LACTIFEROUS-DUCT-SKIN-FISTULA

CPT 19112: Excision of Lactiferous Duct–Skin Fistula

CPT-19120-OPEN-EXCISION-SUSPICIOUS-BREAST-LESION

CPT 19120: Open Excision of Suspicious Breast Lesion

CPT-19125-EXCISION-SINGLE-RADIOLOGICALLY-LOCALIZED-LESION

CPT 19125: Excision of Single Radiologically Localized Lesion

CPT-19126-ADDITIONAL-EXCISION-MARKED-BREAST-LESION

CPT 19126: Excision of Additional Marked Breast Lesion

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier — default status	Use when no specific modifier applies to the claim.
`11`	Primary procedure	Use when this cryoablation is the primary procedure performed during the encounter.
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the procedure required substantially greater work than typical (e.g., unusually complex localization or prolonged time).
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the professional (physician) component separate from the facility or technical component.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when both breasts are treated in the same session and payer allows bilateral reporting for this service.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure was partially reduced or not completed as planned (e.g., aborted due to patient intolerance).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure was started but discontinued for patient safety reasons.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the procedure.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR for related procedure by same physician	Use when the patient requires an unplanned, same-day return to address a complication related to the cryoablation.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon performs services and the payer accepts assistant surgeon modifiers.
`AS`	Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist services	Use when a qualifying non-physician practitioner bills under their own NPI for allowable services.
`QX`	CRNA service with anesthesiologist absent	Use when a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) furnishes anesthesia without medical direction by an anesthesiologist and separate CRNA billing rules apply.
`QY`	Medical direction of one CRNA by physician	Use when a physician medically directs one CRNA providing anesthesia for the procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207XS0127X`	Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery	Breast procedures occasionally performed by surgeons with breast-focused training; included as a potential performer.
`207X00000X`	General Surgery	Most common surgical specialty performing percutaneous breast procedures and minimally invasive excisions.
`207XP0016X`	Plastic Surgery	Performs procedures when cosmetic considerations or oncoplastic approaches are needed.
`207RC0000X`	Radiology, Diagnostic	Interventional radiologists frequently perform image-guided percutaneous cryoablations.
`363L00000X`	Physician Assistant	Commonly assists in clinic, procedure room, and peri-procedural care.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`D24.9`	Benign neoplasm of breast, unspecified	Directly relevant — fibroadenoma is a benign breast neoplasm often coded to `D24` variants when site is unspecified.
`N63`	Unspecified lump in breast	Used when a palpable breast lump is documented prior to definitive histologic diagnosis or when localization is primary.
`R92.8`	Other abnormal and inconclusive findings on diagnostic imaging of breast	Applied when imaging finds an abnormality requiring percutaneous treatment or further management.
`Z48.02`	Encounter for removal of surgical wound dressing; not routinely used but available for post-procedural care	Used for documented follow-up wound or dressing management after percutaneous procedures when indicated.
`Z51.81`	Encounter for therapeutic drug administration	Used when peri-procedural therapeutic agents are administered and require coding for the encounter context.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., for diagnostic or therapeutic injection)	Performed to localize the fibroadenoma and guide cryoprobe placement under real-time ultrasound.
`19083`	Biopsy, percutaneous, breast, with placement of needle-localization device(s) when performed; with imaging guidance	May precede cryoablation if a prior core biopsy or localization is required in the same session.
`20550`	Injection(s); single tendon sheath, or ligament, or trigger point — therapeutic (included as example of injection code)	Local anesthetic or corticosteroid injections are rarely used peri-procedurally for pain control; included only when adjunctive injections occur.
`99213`	Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, typically 15 minutes	Commonly used for pre-procedure evaluation or post-procedure follow-up visits in the outpatient setting.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Performed when laboratory testing (e.g., coagulation studies) is obtained pre-procedure.

CPT 19110: Excision of Single Lactiferous Duct or Papilloma

CPT-19112-EXCISION-LACTIFEROUS-DUCT-SKIN-FISTULA

CPT 19112: Excision of Lactiferous Duct–Skin Fistula

CPT-19120-OPEN-EXCISION-SUSPICIOUS-BREAST-LESION

CPT 19120: Open Excision of Suspicious Breast Lesion

CPT-19125-EXCISION-SINGLE-RADIOLOGICALLY-LOCALIZED-LESION

CPT 19125: Excision of Single Radiologically Localized Lesion

CPT-19126-ADDITIONAL-EXCISION-MARKED-BREAST-LESION

CPT 19126: Excision of Additional Marked Breast Lesion

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 19105: Ultrasound-Guided Cryoablation of Breast Fibroadenoma

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 19105: Ultrasound-Guided Cryoablation of Breast Fibroadenoma

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References