Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 26123: Fasciectomy with Single-Finger Release

CPT code 26123 captures a targeted hand surgery in which fascial tissue is excised from a portion of the palm and one finger is released, including the middle joint. This code is relevant nationally because it documents definitive surgical management for contractures and triggering processes that limit finger motion; accurate use affects clinical records, claims adjudication, and aggregated procedure counts for hand surgery services. Key payers included in typical coverage analyses are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

Readers will learn the clinical context for use of CPT code 26123, where this procedure is commonly performed, and the categories of services it represents. The publication outlines benchmarking and reimbursement considerations, common payer coverage patterns, and coding nuances important for correct claim submission. It also summarizes the typical care setting and providers who perform the procedure. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 26123 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 26123 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 26123 describes the surgical removal of fascial tissue from part of the palm with release of one finger, including release of the proximal interphalangeal (middle) joint. Procedures may include fasciectomy, digital release, and soft-tissue rearrangement techniques such as Z-plasty or skin grafting as needed to restore finger mobility.

Service type: Surgical hand procedure — fasciectomy with single-digit release
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room, often performed by hand surgeons or orthopedic/plastic surgeons

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 26123: Fasciectomy with Single-Finger Release

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 26123 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 26123 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical hand procedure — fasciectomy with single-digit release
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room, often performed by hand surgeons or orthopedic/plastic surgeons

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old right-handed male with progressive palmar fascial thickening presents with fixed flexion contracture of the ring finger at the proximal interphalangeal joint and palpable Dupuytren cord over the central palm. The patient reports difficulty placing his hand flat on surfaces and impaired grasping. Conservative measures failed and the surgeon elects to perform limited fasciectomy with release of a single affected finger, which may include Z-plasty for skin closure and local tissue rearrangement.

Preoperative workflow includes history and physical, informed consent discussing risks (nerve or vessel injury, infection, stiffness), verification of laterality, marking of the operative site, and review of comorbidities for anesthesia planning. The procedure is typically performed in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center or hospital operating room under regional block or general anesthesia. Intraoperative steps include incision over the diseased fascia, dissection and excision of diseased fascial tissue, release of the contracted finger including the proximal interphalangeal joint, and soft tissue reconstruction as needed (Z-plasty or local flap). Postoperative care includes dressing, hand therapy referral, pain control, and follow-up for wound checks and rehabilitation.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`LT`	Left side	Use when the procedure is performed on the left hand/finger
`RT`	Right side	Use when the procedure is performed on the right hand/finger
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical procedures are performed on both hands during same operative session (rare for `26123`)
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when substantial additional work or complexity is documented (extensive reconstruction, multiple Z-plasties)
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when procedure is terminated for clinical reasons after anesthesia initiated
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure performed in addition to `26123` when documentation supports it
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same procedure is repeated later in the global period by the same provider (common in staged reconstructions)
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use if repeated by another surgeon
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use if an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a global service (rare for surgical procedures billed as global)
`TC`	Technical component	Use when reporting only the technical component (facility charges)
`22`	Increased procedural services	See above; used when additional documented work justifies modifier (listed once in final billing)
`AA`	Anesthesia by anesthesiologist (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207X00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Most common specialty performing hand fasciectomy and contracture release
207P00000X	Plastic Surgery	Performs complex soft tissue reconstruction and skin flaps such as Z-plasty
208000000X	General Surgery	May perform hand fasciectomy in some settings or trauma-related cases
206E00000X	Hand Surgery	Subspecialty taxonomy under orthopedics or plastics focused on hand procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M72.0`	Palmar fascial fibromatosis [Dupuytren]	Primary diagnosis for palmar contracture treated with fasciectomy and finger release
`M24.6`	Contracture of joint	Describes the flexion contracture of the finger joint that necessitates surgical release
`M89.3`	Pathological fracture, hand (example comorbidity)	May be relevant if prior trauma altered palmar anatomy and contributes to contracture (billing as comorbidity)
`M79.64`	Pain in hand	Symptom code that may accompany Dupuytren disease and affect functional impairment documentation
`Z79.899`	Other long term (current) drug therapy (example comorbidity)	Use to document chronic medication therapy that may affect perioperative management (anticoagulation, etc.)

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`26123`	Fascia excision, palm; release of one finger, including proximal interphalangeal joint (limited fasciectomy)	Primary procedure: surgical removal of palmar fascial tissue and release of contracture for one finger
`26121`	Fascia excision, palm; release of one finger, not including proximal interphalangeal joint	Alternative when the release does not include the PIP joint; choose based on documented level of release
`26125`	Fascia excision, palm; release of more than one finger (two or three)	Used when multiple fingers are released during the same operative session
`13131`	Repair, complex, forehead/eyelids/other facial areas (includes Z-plasty) — note: analogous code for local flap techniques	Relevant when advanced local tissue rearrangement such as Z-plasty is performed alongside fasciectomy (use the appropriate wound repair code if applicable and supported by documentation)
`29848`	Arthroscopy, radiocarpal joint (diagnostic) — example adjunct procedure	Occasionally used if wrist pathology is evaluated arthroscopically in the same setting; bill only if performed and distinct

CPT 26100: Carpometacarpal Joint Soft Tissue Biopsy

CPT-26105-MCP-JOINT-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY

CPT 26105: Metacarpophalangeal Joint Soft Tissue Biopsy

CPT-26110-INTERPHALANGEAL-JOINT-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY-FINGER

CPT 26110: Interphalangeal Joint Soft-Tissue Biopsy, Finger

CPT-26111-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-EXCISION-1-5CM-OR-GREATER

CPT 26111: Excision of Subcutaneous Tumor or Vascular Malformation, Hand/Finger

CPT-26113-HAND-FINGER-SUBFASCIAL-TUMOR-EXCISION-1-5CM-OR-GREATER

CPT 26113: Excision of Subfascial Hand or Finger Tumor ≥1.5 cm

CPT-26115-HAND-FINGER-SUBCUTANEOUS-TUMOR-EXCISION-UNDER-1-5-CM

CPT 26115: Excision of Subcutaneous Tumor or Vascular Malformation, Hand/Finger

CPT-26116-HAND-FINGER-SUBFASCIAL-TUMOR-EXCISION-UNDER-1-5-CM

CPT 26116: Excision of Subfascial Hand or Finger Lesion, <1.5 cm

CPT-26117-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR-EXCISION-3CM

CPT 26117: Excision of Soft-Tissue Tumor of Hand or Finger (<3 cm)

CPT-26118-EXTENSIVE-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR-EXCISION-3CM-OR-MORE

CPT 26118: Extensive Hand/Finger Soft Tissue Tumor Excision ≥3 cm

CPT-26121-PALMAR-FASCIA-EXCISION-FASCIECTOMY

CPT 26121: Excision of Palmar Fascial Tissue (Fasciectomy)

Showing 1–10 of 29

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.

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.

Explore openpayer tools

View all tools

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`LT`	Left side	Use when the procedure is performed on the left hand/finger
`RT`	Right side	Use when the procedure is performed on the right hand/finger
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when identical procedures are performed on both hands during same operative session (rare for `26123`)
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when substantial additional work or complexity is documented (extensive reconstruction, multiple Z-plasties)
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as planned
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when procedure is terminated for clinical reasons after anesthesia initiated
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure performed in addition to `26123` when documentation supports it
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same procedure is repeated later in the global period by the same provider (common in staged reconstructions)
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use if repeated by another surgeon
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use if an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the professional component of a global service (rare for surgical procedures billed as global)
`TC`	Technical component	Use when reporting only the technical component (facility charges)
`22`	Increased procedural services	See above; used when additional documented work justifies modifier (listed once in final billing)
`AA`	Anesthesia by anesthesiologist (not in provided list)	Data not available in the input.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207X00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Most common specialty performing hand fasciectomy and contracture release
207P00000X	Plastic Surgery	Performs complex soft tissue reconstruction and skin flaps such as Z-plasty
208000000X	General Surgery	May perform hand fasciectomy in some settings or trauma-related cases
206E00000X	Hand Surgery	Subspecialty taxonomy under orthopedics or plastics focused on hand procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M72.0`	Palmar fascial fibromatosis [Dupuytren]	Primary diagnosis for palmar contracture treated with fasciectomy and finger release
`M24.6`	Contracture of joint	Describes the flexion contracture of the finger joint that necessitates surgical release
`M89.3`	Pathological fracture, hand (example comorbidity)	May be relevant if prior trauma altered palmar anatomy and contributes to contracture (billing as comorbidity)
`M79.64`	Pain in hand	Symptom code that may accompany Dupuytren disease and affect functional impairment documentation
`Z79.899`	Other long term (current) drug therapy (example comorbidity)	Use to document chronic medication therapy that may affect perioperative management (anticoagulation, etc.)

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`26123`	Fascia excision, palm; release of one finger, including proximal interphalangeal joint (limited fasciectomy)	Primary procedure: surgical removal of palmar fascial tissue and release of contracture for one finger
`26121`	Fascia excision, palm; release of one finger, not including proximal interphalangeal joint	Alternative when the release does not include the PIP joint; choose based on documented level of release
`26125`	Fascia excision, palm; release of more than one finger (two or three)	Used when multiple fingers are released during the same operative session
`13131`	Repair, complex, forehead/eyelids/other facial areas (includes Z-plasty) — note: analogous code for local flap techniques	Relevant when advanced local tissue rearrangement such as Z-plasty is performed alongside fasciectomy (use the appropriate wound repair code if applicable and supported by documentation)
`29848`	Arthroscopy, radiocarpal joint (diagnostic) — example adjunct procedure	Occasionally used if wrist pathology is evaluated arthroscopically in the same setting; bill only if performed and distinct

CPT 26100: Carpometacarpal Joint Soft Tissue Biopsy

CPT-26105-MCP-JOINT-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY

CPT 26105: Metacarpophalangeal Joint Soft Tissue Biopsy

CPT-26110-INTERPHALANGEAL-JOINT-SOFT-TISSUE-BIOPSY-FINGER

CPT 26110: Interphalangeal Joint Soft-Tissue Biopsy, Finger

CPT-26111-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-EXCISION-1-5CM-OR-GREATER

CPT 26111: Excision of Subcutaneous Tumor or Vascular Malformation, Hand/Finger

CPT-26113-HAND-FINGER-SUBFASCIAL-TUMOR-EXCISION-1-5CM-OR-GREATER

CPT 26113: Excision of Subfascial Hand or Finger Tumor ≥1.5 cm

CPT-26115-HAND-FINGER-SUBCUTANEOUS-TUMOR-EXCISION-UNDER-1-5-CM

CPT 26115: Excision of Subcutaneous Tumor or Vascular Malformation, Hand/Finger

CPT-26116-HAND-FINGER-SUBFASCIAL-TUMOR-EXCISION-UNDER-1-5-CM

CPT 26116: Excision of Subfascial Hand or Finger Lesion, <1.5 cm

CPT-26117-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR-EXCISION-3CM

CPT 26117: Excision of Soft-Tissue Tumor of Hand or Finger (<3 cm)

CPT-26118-EXTENSIVE-HAND-FINGER-SOFT-TISSUE-TUMOR-EXCISION-3CM-OR-MORE

CPT 26118: Extensive Hand/Finger Soft Tissue Tumor Excision ≥3 cm

CPT-26121-PALMAR-FASCIA-EXCISION-FASCIECTOMY

CPT 26121: Excision of Palmar Fascial Tissue (Fasciectomy)

Showing 1–10 of 29

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.

Published by

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

OpenPayer

CPT 26123: Fasciectomy with Single-Finger Release

Sign up for cpt 26123 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

OpenPayer

CPT 26123: Fasciectomy with Single-Finger Release

Sign up for cpt 26123 policy alerts

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