CPT 30140: Submucous Resection of Inferior Turbinate - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 30140: Submucous Resection of Inferior Turbinate

CPT code 30140 denotes a submucous resection of the inferior turbinate, a surgical procedure to reduce turbinate tissue and improve nasal airflow. Nationally, this code is used in otolaryngology practices and surgical settings to bill for partial or complete submucosal turbinate resections performed by any method. It matters clinically and administratively because turbinate surgery is a common intervention for chronic nasal obstruction and allergic or structural causes of nasal airflow limitation.

Key payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical service, typical sites of care, and the payer landscape addressed in accompanying sections. The publication provides benchmarks and payment context where available, summarizes relevant policy updates that affect coverage and prior authorization practices, and situates the procedure within clinical care pathways for nasal obstruction.

The article also outlines common billing considerations, documentation expectations tied to surgical intent and extent of resection, and how CPT code 30140 interacts with related nasal procedures. Data not provided in the input are noted as unavailable; readers should consult payer-specific policies for precise coverage and coding guidance.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCignaUnitedHealthcareMedicare30140CPTinferior turbinateturbinate surgeryotolaryngologynasal obstructionambulatory surgerysurgical coding

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 30140 describes a submucous resection of the inferior turbinate (partial or complete by any method). This procedure involves removal of submucosal tissue from the inferior turbinate to reduce turbinate bulk and improve nasal airway patency.

Service type: Surgical procedure (otolaryngology/ENT nasal surgery)
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating room for procedural cases; some limited procedures may occur in outpatient surgical suites.

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult with chronic nasal obstruction due to inferior turbinate hypertrophy unresponsive to medical therapy (topical intranasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, or nasal saline). The patient presents to an otolaryngology clinic with persistent nasal congestion, mouth breathing, sleep disturbance, and reduced tolerance for nasal airflow. Office evaluation includes nasal endoscopy and nasal cycle assessment; imaging (sinus CT) is obtained when comorbid sinus disease is suspected. After conservative therapy fails, the surgeon schedules a submucous resection of the inferior turbinate (CPT 30140) performed under local anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia in an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department.

The clinical workflow: preoperative evaluation documents diagnosis, prior medical therapy, and consent explaining risks (bleeding, crusting, scarring, persistent obstruction). Intraoperative steps include topical vasoconstriction, mucosal incision, submucosal tissue removal or turbinectomy portioning by curette, microdebrider, radiofrequency, or powered instrumentation consistent with CPT 30140 (partial or complete submucous resection by any method). Hemostasis is achieved, and nasal packing or splints are placed as indicated. Postoperative instructions cover saline irrigations, activity restrictions, and follow-up for debridement and healing. Typical site of service is an ambulatory surgery center or hospital outpatient department; occasionally performed in a physician’s office when appropriate anesthesia and monitoring are available.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use

CPT 30130: Excision of Inferior Turbinate

cpt-30115-nasal-polyp-snare-removal-electrocautery

CPT 30115: Removal of Complicated Nasal Polyp(s) with Snare Electrocautery

cpt-30120-rhinophyma-excision-nasal-skin

CPT 30120: Excision/Abrasion of Diseased Nasal Skin (Rhinophyma)

cpt-30117-internal-nasal-lesion-excision-destruction

CPT 30117: Internal Excision or Destruction of Nasal Lesion

cpt-30100-nasal-biopsy-intranasal-tissue-sampling

CPT 30100: Intranasal Biopsy for Tissue Diagnosis

cpt-30124-dermoid-cyst-excision-nasal-subcutaneous

CPT 30124: Dermoid Cyst Excision, Nasal Subcutaneous Tissue

cpt-30160-partial-rhinectomy-partial-nose-removal

CPT 30160: Partial Rhinectomy (Partial Removal of Nose)

cpt-30110-nasal-polypectomy-nasal-cavity

CPT 30110: Nasal Polyp Removal (Nasal Polypectomy)

cpt-30125-nasal-deep-dermoid-cyst-excision

CPT 30125: Excision of Deep Nasal Dermoid Cyst

cpt-30150-partial-rhinectomy-surgical-removal-nose

CPT 30150: Partial Rhinectomy, Surgical Removal of Part of the Nose

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Otolaryngology	Primary specialty performing turbinate submucosal resection
207K00000X	Facial Plastic Surgery	Surgeons performing nasal airway procedures and combined aesthetic approaches
2080P0227X	Allergy & Immunology	Often involved in preoperative medical management of allergic turbinate hypertrophy
207L00000X	Head and Neck Surgery	Surgeons performing comprehensive nasal airway procedures

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`J34.2`	Deviated nasal septum	Septal deviation often coexists with turbinate hypertrophy causing nasal obstruction; may be corrected concurrently
`J31.0`	Chronic rhinitis	Chronic inflammation leading to turbinate hypertrophy and indication for surgical reduction after medical therapy fails
`J30.9`	Allergic rhinitis, unspecified	Allergic-driven turbinate enlargement frequently prompts submucous resection when refractory to medical care
`J34.89`	Other specified disorders of nose and nasal sinuses	Miscellaneous nasal structural issues contributing to obstruction and considered in surgical planning
`R09.81`	Nasal congestion	Symptom code often documented to support medical necessity for `CPT 30140`

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`30801`	Intranasal ethmoidectomy, partial	Performed when concurrent ethmoid sinus disease requires endoscopic drainage during same operative session
`31231`	Nasal/sinus endoscopy, diagnostic, unilateral or bilateral	Often performed preoperatively or intraoperatively for assessment of turbinate anatomy and concomitant sinus disease
`31237`	Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with biopsy, polypectomy or debridement	Used when additional intranasal surgical procedures (polypectomy, debridement) are performed at same time
`30930`	Septoplasty or submucous resection, with or without cartilage graft	Performed when septal deviation contributes to obstruction and septoplasty is done concurrently
`30130`	Submucous resection of turbinate, partial	Related inferior turbinate procedure code used for other turbinate submucosal techniques or documentation comparisons

`52`	Reduced services	When the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned
`53`	Discontinued procedure	When procedure is started but terminated due to extenuating circumstances
`57`	Decision for surgery	For an E/M service that resulted in the decision to perform `CPT 30140` on the same day
`59`	Distinct procedural service	To indicate a separate, independent procedure or service not normally billed together
`26`	Professional component	When only the physician’s interpretive or professional component is billed (rare for this procedure)
`TC`	Technical component	When only the technical component is billed (facility billing)
`50`	Bilateral procedure	When `CPT 30140` is performed on both inferior turbinates and payer requires a bilateral modifier instead of using modifier `59` or modifier `RT`/`LT`
`LT`	Left side	When procedure performed on left inferior turbinate only (payer preference)
`RT`	Right side	When procedure performed on right inferior turbinate only (payer preference)
`22`	Increased procedural services	For unusually long or complex turbinate resections requiring more work than typical
`24`	Unrelated E/M during global period	When an unrelated evaluation is performed during the postoperative global period (note: `24` is not in provided list; use `XX` placeholder not allowed)

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