CPT 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

CPT code 21502 denotes a surgical incision and drainage of deep neck or chest tissues with partial rib resection to evacuate blood or pus. This code captures a complex, invasive procedure that addresses deep-seated infections, empyemas, or hematomas where removal of a rib segment facilitates adequate drainage and source control. Nationally, accurate coding of such procedures matters for clinical communication, complication tracking, and appropriate payment for operative complexity.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines how payers typically classify and reimburse complex thoracic and deep neck drainage procedures, common billing practices, and documentation elements that support use of CPT code 21502.

Readers will learn clinical context for the procedure, expected sites of service, and the types of benchmarks and policy considerations relevant to this code. The report summarizes typical care settings (hospital operating room, inpatient surgical suite, ambulatory surgical center), highlights factors that influence coding and coverage determinations, and identifies where data was not available in the input. Data not available in the input includes specific payer reimbursement rates, associated ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 21502 describes an incision and drainage procedure of deep tissues in the neck or chest with partial rib resection to evacuate a pocket of blood or pus and relieve pain and pressure. The procedure involves surgical access to deep fascial or intrathoracic spaces in the neck or chest and removal of a segment of rib bone as part of the drainage and debridement process.

Service type: Surgical drainage with bone resection (thoracic/neck deep tissue surgery)

Typical site of service: Hospital operating room, inpatient surgical suite, or ambulatory surgical center

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CPT 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical drainage with bone resection (thoracic/neck deep tissue surgery)

Typical site of service: Hospital operating room, inpatient surgical suite, or ambulatory surgical center

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 48-year-old male presents to the emergency department with progressive left-sided neck pain, swelling, erythema, fever, and difficulty breathing after an extended dental infection. Imaging (CT neck) demonstrates a deep cervical abscess tracking into the supraclavicular region and abutting the chest wall with compressive symptoms. The surgical team determines that incision and drainage of the deep neck/upper chest abscess with partial resection of the adjacent rib (for exposure and adequate drainage) is required under general anesthesia. The patient is consented, brought to the operating room, monitored per standard perioperative protocols, and receives broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Intraoperative steps include: incision and dissection to the deep fascial space, evacuation of purulent material, culture collection, removal of a rib segment to facilitate drainage and prevent re-accumulation, hemostasis, placement of drain(s), and layered closure or packing as indicated. Postoperative workflow includes recovery room monitoring, continued IV antibiotics guided by cultures, wound and drain care, pain control, and inpatient observation for airway compromise or sepsis. Documentation includes operative note with details of deep tissue incision and drainage, statement of rib partial resection, estimated blood loss, drains placed, laterality, and relevant comorbidities.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32030`	Thoracostomy, with insertion of indwelling pleural catheter (e.g., chest tube), with or without water seal, when performed	May be performed if pleural space contamination or effusion requires drainage following extension of infection into the chest.
`11042`	Debridement; skin and subcutaneous tissue (includes removal of devitalized tissue), first 20 sq cm or less	May be used for adjunctive debridement of overlying infected soft tissue during incision and drainage.
`21010`	Incision and drainage of abscess, cyst, hematoma, or seroma of maxillofacial area; extraoral	May be performed when infection tracks from oral/dental origin into the neck requiring extraoral drainage in addition to deep neck I&D.
`31600`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure	Often required preoperatively for airway protection when deep neck infection compromises the airway.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Performed for baseline labs, cultures, and sepsis workup in the perioperative period.

Related Modifiers

13 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
50	Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…	- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
51	Modifier –51 (Multiple Procedures) is used when the same provider performs multiple procedures in the same session to identify secondary, non‑exempt procedures and indicate payment reduction logic…	- Use modifier -51 when the same provider performs multiple distinct procedures during the same patient encounter: report the highest‑valued procedure first (no modifier) and append -51 to…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
78	CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…	- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…
80	CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for…	- Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT…

Showing 1–10 of 13

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Emergency Medicine Physician	An emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospit…
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
363A00000X	Physician Assistant	A physician assistant is a person who has successfully completed an accredited education program for physician assistant, is licensed by the state and…
163WE0900X	Enterostomal Therapy Registered Nurse	Nursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse
227900000X	Registered Respiratory Therapist	A Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) is an advanced therapist who has passed standardized written and clinical simulation examinations administere…
103TF0200X	Forensic Psychologist	A psychologist whose specialty is characterized by activities primarily intended to provide professional psychological expertise within the judicial a…
287300000X	Deactivated - Christian Science Sanitorium	Inactive, use 282J00000X

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

27 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
A41.9	Sepsis, unspecified organism
B95.61	Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
B95.62	Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
G89.3	Neoplasm related pain (acute) (chronic)
I96	Gangrene, not elsewhere classified
I97.610	Postprocedural hemorrhage of a circulatory system organ or structure following a cardiac catheterization
I97.611	Postprocedural hemorrhage of a circulatory system organ or structure following cardiac bypass
J85.1	Abscess of lung with pneumonia
J85.2	Abscess of lung without pneumonia
J85.3	Abscess of mediastinum

Showing 1–10 of 27

CPT 21501: Incision and Drainage of Deep Neck or Chest Tissue

CPT-21510-CHEST-BONE-CORTICAL-INCISION-DECOMPRESSION-DRAINAGE

CPT 21510: Cortical Incision of Chest Bone for Decompression/Drainage

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32030`	Thoracostomy, with insertion of indwelling pleural catheter (e.g., chest tube), with or without water seal, when performed	May be performed if pleural space contamination or effusion requires drainage following extension of infection into the chest.
`11042`	Debridement; skin and subcutaneous tissue (includes removal of devitalized tissue), first 20 sq cm or less	May be used for adjunctive debridement of overlying infected soft tissue during incision and drainage.
`21010`	Incision and drainage of abscess, cyst, hematoma, or seroma of maxillofacial area; extraoral	May be performed when infection tracks from oral/dental origin into the neck requiring extraoral drainage in addition to deep neck I&D.
`31600`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure	Often required preoperatively for airway protection when deep neck infection compromises the airway.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Performed for baseline labs, cultures, and sepsis workup in the perioperative period.

Related Modifiers

13 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
22	Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…	- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
23	Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…	- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
50	Modifier –50 (Bilateral Procedure) is appended to a CPT code when an identical procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures during the same operative session. The AMA states to add…	- Use modifier -50 when the same CPT surgical, diagnostic, or radiology procedure is performed on paired anatomical structures (both sides of the body) during the same operative/session by the same…
51	Modifier –51 (Multiple Procedures) is used when the same provider performs multiple procedures in the same session to identify secondary, non‑exempt procedures and indicate payment reduction logic…	- Use modifier -51 when the same provider performs multiple distinct procedures during the same patient encounter: report the highest‑valued procedure first (no modifier) and append -51 to…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
62	Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…	- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
78	CPT modifier -78 indicates an unplanned, related return to the operating or procedure room by the same provider during the global postoperative period. It is appended when treatment for a…	- Use modifier -78 when an unplanned, related complication during the original procedure’s global postoperative period requires the patient to return to a formal operating or procedure room and the…
80	CPT® Modifier 80 (Assistant Surgeon) is appended to a surgical CPT code when a physician (MD or DO) provides full, continuous assistance throughout the operative procedure. It is intended only for…	- Use CPT Modifier -80 when a physician (MD or DO) serves as an assistant surgeon and provides full, continuous assistance throughout the entire operative procedure; append -80 to the surgical CPT…

Showing 1–10 of 13

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Emergency Medicine Physician	An emergency physician focuses on the immediate decision making and action necessary to prevent death or any further disability both in the pre-hospit…
207K00000X	Allergy & Immunology Physician	An allergist-immunologist is trained in evaluation, physical and laboratory diagnosis, and management of disorders involving the immune system. Select…
208D00000X	General Practice Physician	A physician who specializes in the general practice of diagnosing, treating, and managing patients with a variety of illnesses and conditions.
363A00000X	Physician Assistant	A physician assistant is a person who has successfully completed an accredited education program for physician assistant, is licensed by the state and…
163WE0900X	Enterostomal Therapy Registered Nurse	Nursing Service Providers · Registered Nurse
227900000X	Registered Respiratory Therapist	A Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) is an advanced therapist who has passed standardized written and clinical simulation examinations administere…
103TF0200X	Forensic Psychologist	A psychologist whose specialty is characterized by activities primarily intended to provide professional psychological expertise within the judicial a…
287300000X	Deactivated - Christian Science Sanitorium	Inactive, use 282J00000X

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

27 rows

ICD-10-CM Code	Description
A41.9	Sepsis, unspecified organism
B95.61	Methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
B95.62	Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere
G89.3	Neoplasm related pain (acute) (chronic)
I96	Gangrene, not elsewhere classified
I97.610	Postprocedural hemorrhage of a circulatory system organ or structure following a cardiac catheterization
I97.611	Postprocedural hemorrhage of a circulatory system organ or structure following cardiac bypass
J85.1	Abscess of lung with pneumonia
J85.2	Abscess of lung without pneumonia
J85.3	Abscess of mediastinum

Showing 1–10 of 27

CPT 21501: Incision and Drainage of Deep Neck or Chest Tissue

CPT-21510-CHEST-BONE-CORTICAL-INCISION-DECOMPRESSION-DRAINAGE

CPT 21510: Cortical Incision of Chest Bone for Decompression/Drainage

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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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 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

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Billing Code Overview

CPT 21502: Deep Neck/Chest Incision and Drainage with Partial Rib Resection

Sign up for cpt 21502 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT code 21502 represent and when is it used?

Where is CPT 21502 typically performed?

What key documentation elements support billing CPT 21502?

Which modifiers are commonly referenced for CPT 21502 and when might they apply?

Which specialties commonly perform or participate in care associated with CPT 21502?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related ICD-10-CM Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT code 21502 represent and when is it used?

Where is CPT 21502 typically performed?

What key documentation elements support billing CPT 21502?

Which modifiers are commonly referenced for CPT 21502 and when might they apply?

Which specialties commonly perform or participate in care associated with CPT 21502?

References