Summary & Overview
CPT 27000: Percutaneous Adductor Tenotomy of Hip
Headline: CPT code 27000 — Percutaneous adductor tenotomy for hip adductor contracture
Lead: CPT code 27000 designates a percutaneous tenotomy of the hip adductor muscles performed through a small skin incision to release tight adductors and correct related deformity. The code captures a focused soft-tissue surgical service commonly used in musculoskeletal care, pediatric orthopedics, and adult reconstructive settings.
CPT code 27000 matters because it defines reporting and payment for a minimally invasive surgical approach to treat adductor contractures that can limit mobility and function. Nationally, correct coding supports appropriate clinical documentation, ensures accurate claims processing, and informs utilization benchmarks for outpatient surgical services. Key payers frequently involved in reimbursement for this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will learn the clinical context of the procedure, typical sites of service, and the payer landscape that commonly covers CPT code 27000. The publication provides benchmarks and policy-relevant observations about how this outpatient surgical code is used in practice, highlights common billing considerations, and summarizes areas where coding precision affects coverage and claims workflows. Data not available in the input: associated taxonomies, specific ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and payer-specific coverage rules.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 27000 describes a percutaneous tenotomy of the hip adductor muscles. The procedure involves making a small skin incision to incise or divide tight adductor muscles to correct deformity caused by adductor contracture.
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Service type: Surgical procedure — percutaneous soft-tissue tenotomy
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Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient setting; may also be performed in an operating room depending on patient complexity and anesthesia needs
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a pediatric or young adult with hip adductor tightness causing scissoring gait, limited hip abduction, or hip adduction contracture. A common scenario: a 6-year-old child with spastic cerebral palsy presents with progressive hip adduction deformity and difficulty with perineal care and ambulation despite conservative management (physical therapy, botulinum toxin injections, orthotics). After multidisciplinary review, the orthopedic surgeon schedules a percutaneous adductor tenotomy to release the gracilis and/or adductor longus tendons under brief general anesthesia. The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (history, physical exam, imaging as indicated), consent, anesthesia clearance, intraoperative percutaneous tendon release through a small skin incision, brief observation in a recovery area or ambulatory surgery unit, and postoperative instructions with pain control, wound care, and targeted physical therapy.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
11 | Physician performed service | Use when the procedure is the usual, uncomplicated service provided by the reporting practitioner. |
22 | Increased procedural services |