Summary & Overview
CPT 26215: Excision of Bone Cyst or Tumor, Finger
CPT code 26215 denotes the surgical excision of a bone cyst or tumor from a finger through a skin incision. This code captures a focused, minor orthopedic hand procedure that is relevant to ambulatory surgical practices and hospital outpatient departments. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects procedure-level reporting, resource allocation, and claim adjudication for hand and orthopedic surgery services. The payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will find a concise clinical context for when CPT code 26215 is reported, operational benchmarks for typical sites of service, and key coding considerations relevant to payer coverage and claims processing. The publication outlines how the code fits within hand surgery service lines and what operational settings commonly perform the procedure. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable. This summary provides clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts with an overview to support correct code selection and claims documentation for finger bone lesion excisions.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 26215 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider makes an incision in the skin over a patient’s finger to remove a bone cyst or tumor. The service type is a minor surgical excision of a bone lesion in a finger. The typical site of service for this procedure is an outpatient surgical suite or ambulatory surgery center, and it may also be performed in a hospital outpatient department when clinical complexity or facility resources require it.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 45-year-old right-hand–dominant individual presenting to the hand surgery clinic with progressive pain, localized swelling, and decreased range of motion in the distal phalanx of the index finger after months of intermittent symptoms. Radiographs and MRI identify a discrete lytic lesion consistent with an intraosseous bone cyst or benign tumor of the phalanx. Nonoperative management (observation, immobilization, or aspiration when appropriate) failed to relieve symptoms or imaging shows cortical thinning with risk of pathological fracture. The patient is scheduled for operative excision under regional block or general anesthesia.
Preoperative workflow includes informed consent, review of imaging, surgical site marking, and documentation of indication and laterality. Intraoperatively, the surgeon makes a skin incision directly over the affected finger, performs soft tissue dissection to expose the phalanx, creates a cortical window or performs curettage to remove cystic/tumorous tissue, and may obtain bone graft or use local adjuvant treatment as indicated. Specimens are sent for pathology if tumor is suspected. Hemostasis is achieved, and the wound is closed with layered sutures. Postoperative care includes splinting, pain control, wound care instructions, and a follow-up visit for suture removal and rehabilitation planning if needed.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
51 | Multiple procedures | When other distinct procedures are performed on the same day in addition to the primary excision of bone cyst/tumor on the finger |