Summary & Overview
CPT 27328: Excision of Intramuscular Tumor of Thigh or Knee (<5 cm)
CPT code 27328 represents the surgical excision of an intramuscular tumor in the thigh or knee measuring less than five centimeters. Nationally, this code captures a focused soft-tissue oncologic procedure performed in operative settings and is relevant to surgical oncology, orthopedics, and hospital billing operations. Its accurate use affects claims classification, facility and professional payment flows, and quality tracking for tumor management.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context explaining the procedure and typical settings, benchmarks for utilization and coding alignment where available, and notes on common billing considerations. The publication summarizes typical sites of service and service type, highlights payer coverage considerations, and outlines areas where policy updates or documentation clarity may affect claims adjudication.
This material is intended to inform revenue cycle managers, surgical providers, and policy analysts about the code’s clinical meaning, payer landscape, and operational implications without prescribing clinical or billing actions.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 27328 describes the excision of a tumor less than five centimeters located within the intramuscular tissues of the thigh or knee. This procedure is a surgical tumor removal performed on soft tissue within the musculature of the proximal lower extremity.
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Service type: Surgical excision of intramuscular tumor
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center, targeting the thigh or knee intramuscular compartment
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 46-year-old patient presents with a palpable, painless mass deep within the anterior thigh noticed after progressive enlargement over several months. Imaging with MRI demonstrates a well-circumscribed intramuscular soft-tissue mass measuring 3.2 cm in greatest dimension within the vastus lateralis muscle without gross neurovascular involvement. The orthopedic oncology or general surgical team schedules an elective outpatient procedure for excision of the intramuscular tumor under regional block or general anesthesia. Intraoperative workflow includes preoperative marking, time-out, limb preparation, and an incision through skin and fascia to expose the muscle belly. The surgeon identifies and excises the tumor with a margin appropriate to suspected pathology, controls hemostasis, and closes the wound in layers. The specimen is sent to pathology for frozen section or permanent histopathology. Postoperative care includes short observation in the ambulatory surgical center or same-day discharge with instructions for wound care, activity restrictions, and follow-up for pathology results and possible oncology referral if malignancy is confirmed.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
LT | Left side | Use when the procedure is performed on the left thigh/knee |
RT |