Summary & Overview
CPT 25931: Revision Amputation Through Hand Bones
CPT code 25931 denotes a secondary amputation through the bones of the hand, typically performed to revise or correct complications after an initial amputation. This operative code captures clinically significant reconstructive and salvage procedures for metacarpal-level pathology resulting from trauma, infection, tumor resection, or ischemic complications. Nationally, accurate coding for these procedures matters for consistent surgical quality measurement, appropriate payment for complex reconstructive services, and tracking outcomes for limb-sparing versus revision strategies.
Key payers considered include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the code's clinical scope, typical sites of service, and the service type. The publication also presents benchmark considerations across major commercial payers and Medicare, summarizes relevant coding relationships, and outlines clinical contexts in which the code is typically used.
Intended takeaways include clarity on what CPT code 25931 represents, how it fits into the spectrum of hand amputation and revision procedures, and the payer landscape relevant to reimbursement and utilization monitoring. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 25931 describes a secondary surgical amputation through the bones of the hand, performed to correct issues remaining after an initial amputation. This procedure commonly involves revision or re-amputation of metacarpal bones and is performed for indications such as persistent infection, nonhealing tissue, structural problems, or complications from trauma or tumor resection.
Service type: Surgical procedure — hand amputation/revision
Typical site of service: Operating room or ambulatory surgical center, often under regional or general anesthesia with inpatient or same-day discharge depending on clinical complexity and patient comorbidities.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 54-year-old male presents to the hand surgery service with persistent pain, malalignment, and nonhealing infection at the site of a prior traumatic open metacarpal amputation performed six months earlier. The patient has limited hand function, recurrent wound drainage, and radiographic evidence of osteomyelitis and bone deformity at the residual metacarpal stump. After preoperative evaluation, the hand surgeon schedules a revision amputation through the hand bones to excise infected bone and create a stable, pain-free stump suitable for prosthetic use or improved function. The procedure is performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room under regional block or general anesthesia. Typical workflow includes preoperative imaging and cultures, perioperative antibiotics, intraoperative bone debridement and re-amputation through appropriate metacarpal level, meticulous soft-tissue management, possible local flap rearrangement, intraoperative specimen submission for pathology and microbiology, and postoperative wound care with hand therapy referral for rehabilitation.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | When the procedure is performed on the left hand |
RT |