Summary & Overview
CPT 32667: Thoracoscopic Additional Lung Resection
CPT code 32667 denotes a thoracoscopic surgical procedure in which a surgeon visualizes the chest cavity and removes an additional section of lung containing a mass or nodule after an initial lung resection has been performed. The code is relevant for thoracic surgeons, hospital surgical services, and payers because it captures a distinct intraoperative step when multiple resections are required during the same operative episode. Accurate use of this code affects clinical documentation, operative reporting, and claims processing for complex lung resections.
Key national payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for thoracoscopic secondary lung resections, guidance on typical billing and service settings, and what to expect in payer coverage considerations. The publication summarizes benchmarks where available, notes common documentation elements that support use of the code, and highlights policy considerations affecting reimbursement and claims adjudication. Data not available in the input is explicitly identified where applicable, and the focus remains on providing concise, nationally relevant information for clinicians, coding professionals, and policy staff involved in thoracic surgical services.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 32667 describes a thoracoscopic procedure to visualize the chest cavity and lung for the purpose of resecting an additional portion of lung tissue where a mass or nodule is located. The provider performs this procedure after having already resected another section of the lung, making it a subsequent intraoperative lung resection performed via thoracoscopy.
-
Service type: Surgical — thoracoscopic lung resection (subsequent resection of additional lung tissue)
-
Typical site of service: Inpatient or outpatient surgical suite with thoracic surgery capability; most commonly performed in an operating room setting with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) equipment available.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 64-year-old patient with a history of smoking and a newly identified pulmonary nodule undergoes a planned video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) wedge resection. Intraoperatively, after resection of the initial lesion, the surgeon identifies a second suspicious nodule in a different lung segment and performs an additional wedge resection for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The patient is managed in an operating room setting with general anesthesia and single-lung ventilation, with postoperative recovery in a post-anesthesia care unit and short inpatient observation for chest tube management and pain control. Preoperative workup typically includes chest CT, PET-CT when indicated, pulmonary function testing, and consultation with thoracic surgery and anesthesia. Pathology is sent for frozen section and final histopathology to guide further oncologic management.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Not specified (place-holder code in input) | Data placeholder; not used for billing. |
11 | Usually normal, no complication | When operative course is uncomplicated and routine. |