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CPT 32501: Bronchial Repair After Lobectomy or Segmentectomy

CPT code 32501 is an add-on thoracic surgery code for repair of a damaged bronchus after removal of lung lobes or a lobe segment. It captures a specific intraoperative repair performed in conjunction with lobectomy or segmental lung resection and is clinically important for coding the additional surgical work and complexity associated with restoring bronchial continuity. Accurate use of this CPT code affects procedural documentation, bundling determinations, and national reporting of thoracic surgical workload.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find benchmarking context and payer coverage patterns, clinical context for when the add-on repair is reported, and considerations for coding and billing workflows where available. The publication outlines how 32501 aligns with operative thoracic procedures, typical sites of service, and expected clinical scenarios where bronchial repair follows lobectomy or segmentectomy.

The article provides a concise reference for revenue cycle, surgical teams, and compliance officers seeking clarity on procedural classification and how this add-on code interacts with primary resection codes. Data not available in the input is clearly noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 32501 describes an add-on thoracic surgical procedure in which the provider repairs a portion of a damaged bronchus after removal of lung lobes or a lobe segment. This procedure is performed in conjunction with lobectomy or segmental lung resection and is intended to restore bronchial integrity following resection.

Service type: Operative — Thoracic Surgery (bronchial repair after lobectomy/segmentectomy)

Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center when clinically appropriate.

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CPT 32501: Bronchial Repair After Lobectomy or Segmentectomy

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Operative — Thoracic Surgery (bronchial repair after lobectomy/segmentectomy)

Typical site of service: Inpatient hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center when clinically appropriate.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a 62-year-old with a peripheral pulmonary mass undergoing a planned lobectomy for suspected non-small cell lung cancer. During resection of a lobe or lobar segment, the surgeon identifies a damaged bronchus requiring repair after parenchymal removal. The patient is taken to the operating room under general anesthesia with single-lung ventilation. The thoracic surgeon performs the lobectomy and then repairs the bronchial defect with layered suturing or bronchial stump reinforcement (muscle flap or pericardial patch) before confirming air leak absence and hemostasis. Postoperative workflow includes chest tube placement, extubation in the operating room or ICU, postoperative chest radiograph, pain control, respiratory therapy, and inpatient monitoring for air leak, infection, and bronchial dehiscence. Coding for 32501 is appended to the primary lobectomy/lobar segmentectomy code to reflect the additional bronchial repair work performed.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when repair of the bronchus substantially increases the complexity or time beyond the typical lobectomy.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use if general anesthesia was contraindicated and unusually deep or emergency anesthesia was required.
`26`	Professional component	Rarely used for surgical procedures; not typically applicable but listed for completeness when professional interpretation is billed separately.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when bilateral pulmonary resections with bronchial repairs are performed during the same operative session.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when `32501` is billed in addition to the primary lobectomy code to indicate multiple distinct procedures.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the bronchial repair was started but discontinued or performed in a limited fashion.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if the operation was begun but aborted prior to completion of the bronchial repair due to unforeseen circumstances.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons worked together as primary surgeons performing separate parts of the lobectomy and bronchial repair.
`63`	Procedure performed on infants less than 4 kg	Not commonly applicable but used if patient meets weight criteria; included from the provided list.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating room following initial procedure	Use when a patient requires reoperation for bronchial repair after a prior lobectomy during the same postoperative period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant is required and billed for participation in the bronchial repair.
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	Use when only minimal assistance was provided during the procedure.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident surgeon not available)	Use when a qualified resident surgeon is not available and an assistant surgeon is used.
`LT`	Left side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the left lung when laterality modifiers are required.
`RT`	Right side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the right lung when laterality modifiers are required.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207RH0000X`	Thoracic Surgery	Primary specialty performing lobectomy with bronchial repair.
`2080P0206X`	General Surgery	Some general surgeons with thoracic training perform pulmonary resections.
`207RP1001X`	Cardiothoracic Surgery	Cardio-thoracic surgeons performing complex airway and pulmonary reconstruction.
`163W00000X`	Pulmonology	Pulmonologists involved pre- and post-operatively; less commonly the operating surgeon.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C34.11`	Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe, right bronchus or lung	Primary lung cancer requiring lobectomy where bronchial involvement may necessitate repair.
`C34.12`	Malignant neoplasm of middle lobe, right bronchus or lung	Tumors in middle lobe that may require resection and bronchial repair.
`C34.21`	Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe, left bronchus or lung	Left-sided lung cancer leading to lobectomy with potential bronchial repair.
`J85.1`	Abscess of lung and mediastinum	Destructive infection causing bronchial damage that may be repaired during resection.
`J85.2`	Lung abscess with necrosis	Necrotizing infection with bronchial involvement requiring repair at time of resection.
`S27.3XXA`	Traumatic rupture of bronchus, initial encounter	Traumatic bronchial injury repaired during or after pulmonary resection.
`J98.4`	Other disorders of lung	Includes bronchial injuries or strictures that may be addressed with bronchial repair during surgery.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32480`	Thoracotomy; for pulmonary wedge resection	Performed when a wedge resection is done as an alternative or prior to lobectomy; may precede or substitute depending on findings.
`32482`	Thoracotomy; for pulmonary lobectomy, including mediastinal lymph node dissection	Primary procedure to which `32501` is appended when a lobectomy includes bronchial repair.
`32666`	Sleeve resection of lung; lobectomy with bronchoplasty and bronchial anastomosis	Performed for tumors requiring bronchial resection and reconstruction; closely related when airway reconstruction is extensive.
`32096`	Thoracoscopy, surgical; with lobectomy (including thoracotomy if performed)	Thoracoscopic lobectomy may be performed and if bronchial repair is required, `32501` may be appended as an add-on.
`32550`	Bronchoplasty, repair of bronchus, other than by resection and anastomosis	Related airway repair codes; used when repair is performed without lobectomy component or for different repair techniques.

CPT 32440: Thoracotomy for Removal of Lung

CPT-32442-PNEUMONECTOMY-WITH-BRONCHOTRACHEAL-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 32442: Pneumonectomy With Broncho–Tracheal Anastomosis

CPT-32445-RADICAL-PNEUMONECTOMY-WITH-PLEURECTOMY

CPT 32445: Radical Pneumonectomy with Pleural Tumor Resection

CPT-32480-SINGLE-LOBE-LOBECTOMY

CPT 32480: Single-Lobe Lobectomy

CPT-32482-BILOBECTOMY-TWO-LOBE-LUNG-RESECTION

CPT 32482: Removal of Two Lung Lobes (Bilobectomy)

CPT-32484-SEGMENTAL-LUNG-RESECTION

CPT 32484: Segmental Lung Resection

CPT-32486-LUNG-RESECTION-WITH-BRONCHIAL-REPAIR

CPT 32486: Lung Resection with Bronchial Repair

CPT-32488-COMPLETION-PNEUMONECTOMY-REMAINING-LUNG-TISSUE

CPT 32488: Removal of Remaining Lung Tissue After Prior Lobectomy/Segmentectomy

CPT-32491-EMPHYSEMA-LUNG-TISSUE-RESECTION-STERNAL-TRANSTHORACIC

CPT 32491: Resection of Emphysematous Lung Tissue via Sternal or Transthoracic Approach

CPT-32503-APICAL-LUNG-TUMOR-RESECTION-NO-CHEST-WALL-RECONSTRUCTION

CPT 32503: Apical Lung Tumor Resection Without Chest Wall Reconstruction

Showing 1–10 of 15

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.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when repair of the bronchus substantially increases the complexity or time beyond the typical lobectomy.
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use if general anesthesia was contraindicated and unusually deep or emergency anesthesia was required.
`26`	Professional component	Rarely used for surgical procedures; not typically applicable but listed for completeness when professional interpretation is billed separately.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when bilateral pulmonary resections with bronchial repairs are performed during the same operative session.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when `32501` is billed in addition to the primary lobectomy code to indicate multiple distinct procedures.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the bronchial repair was started but discontinued or performed in a limited fashion.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if the operation was begun but aborted prior to completion of the bronchial repair due to unforeseen circumstances.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons worked together as primary surgeons performing separate parts of the lobectomy and bronchial repair.
`63`	Procedure performed on infants less than 4 kg	Not commonly applicable but used if patient meets weight criteria; included from the provided list.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating room following initial procedure	Use when a patient requires reoperation for bronchial repair after a prior lobectomy during the same postoperative period.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when a surgical assistant is required and billed for participation in the bronchial repair.
`81`	Minimum assistant surgeon	Use when only minimal assistance was provided during the procedure.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified resident surgeon not available)	Use when a qualified resident surgeon is not available and an assistant surgeon is used.
`LT`	Left side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the left lung when laterality modifiers are required.
`RT`	Right side	Use to indicate the procedure was performed on the right lung when laterality modifiers are required.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207RH0000X`	Thoracic Surgery	Primary specialty performing lobectomy with bronchial repair.
`2080P0206X`	General Surgery	Some general surgeons with thoracic training perform pulmonary resections.
`207RP1001X`	Cardiothoracic Surgery	Cardio-thoracic surgeons performing complex airway and pulmonary reconstruction.
`163W00000X`	Pulmonology	Pulmonologists involved pre- and post-operatively; less commonly the operating surgeon.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C34.11`	Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe, right bronchus or lung	Primary lung cancer requiring lobectomy where bronchial involvement may necessitate repair.
`C34.12`	Malignant neoplasm of middle lobe, right bronchus or lung	Tumors in middle lobe that may require resection and bronchial repair.
`C34.21`	Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe, left bronchus or lung	Left-sided lung cancer leading to lobectomy with potential bronchial repair.
`J85.1`	Abscess of lung and mediastinum	Destructive infection causing bronchial damage that may be repaired during resection.
`J85.2`	Lung abscess with necrosis	Necrotizing infection with bronchial involvement requiring repair at time of resection.
`S27.3XXA`	Traumatic rupture of bronchus, initial encounter	Traumatic bronchial injury repaired during or after pulmonary resection.
`J98.4`	Other disorders of lung	Includes bronchial injuries or strictures that may be addressed with bronchial repair during surgery.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32480`	Thoracotomy; for pulmonary wedge resection	Performed when a wedge resection is done as an alternative or prior to lobectomy; may precede or substitute depending on findings.
`32482`	Thoracotomy; for pulmonary lobectomy, including mediastinal lymph node dissection	Primary procedure to which `32501` is appended when a lobectomy includes bronchial repair.
`32666`	Sleeve resection of lung; lobectomy with bronchoplasty and bronchial anastomosis	Performed for tumors requiring bronchial resection and reconstruction; closely related when airway reconstruction is extensive.
`32096`	Thoracoscopy, surgical; with lobectomy (including thoracotomy if performed)	Thoracoscopic lobectomy may be performed and if bronchial repair is required, `32501` may be appended as an add-on.
`32550`	Bronchoplasty, repair of bronchus, other than by resection and anastomosis	Related airway repair codes; used when repair is performed without lobectomy component or for different repair techniques.

CPT 32440: Thoracotomy for Removal of Lung

CPT-32442-PNEUMONECTOMY-WITH-BRONCHOTRACHEAL-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 32442: Pneumonectomy With Broncho–Tracheal Anastomosis

CPT-32445-RADICAL-PNEUMONECTOMY-WITH-PLEURECTOMY

CPT 32445: Radical Pneumonectomy with Pleural Tumor Resection

CPT-32480-SINGLE-LOBE-LOBECTOMY

CPT 32480: Single-Lobe Lobectomy

CPT-32482-BILOBECTOMY-TWO-LOBE-LUNG-RESECTION

CPT 32482: Removal of Two Lung Lobes (Bilobectomy)

CPT-32484-SEGMENTAL-LUNG-RESECTION

CPT 32484: Segmental Lung Resection

CPT-32486-LUNG-RESECTION-WITH-BRONCHIAL-REPAIR

CPT 32486: Lung Resection with Bronchial Repair

CPT-32488-COMPLETION-PNEUMONECTOMY-REMAINING-LUNG-TISSUE

CPT 32488: Removal of Remaining Lung Tissue After Prior Lobectomy/Segmentectomy

CPT-32491-EMPHYSEMA-LUNG-TISSUE-RESECTION-STERNAL-TRANSTHORACIC

CPT 32491: Resection of Emphysematous Lung Tissue via Sternal or Transthoracic Approach

CPT-32503-APICAL-LUNG-TUMOR-RESECTION-NO-CHEST-WALL-RECONSTRUCTION

CPT 32503: Apical Lung Tumor Resection Without Chest Wall Reconstruction

Showing 1–10 of 15

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 32501: Bronchial Repair After Lobectomy or Segmentectomy

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Billing Code Overview

OpenPayer

CPT 32501: Bronchial Repair After Lobectomy or Segmentectomy

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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