CPT 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

Medicare pays $455 on average nationally for this procedure.

CPT code 38308 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider incises or performs other interventions to improve lymph flow or drain infection from a lymph node or lymphatic channels; this is a minor surgical service typically classified as a lymphatic/soft-tissue drainage procedure performed in an outpatient surgical center or hospital operating room or procedure suite.

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CPT 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

Medicare pays $455 on average nationally for this procedure.

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Sign up for cpt 38308 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 38308 are released or updated.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult presenting with a tender, swollen regional lymph node or localized lymphangitic infection after skin trauma or insect bite. The patient often has fever, erythema, fluctuance, and limited lymphatic drainage despite antibiotic therapy. Initial evaluation includes history, focused physical exam, ultrasound to assess abscess versus cellulitis, and laboratory studies (CBC, inflammatory markers). When imaging or clinical exam demonstrates a localized suppurative lymph node or obstructed lymphatic channel not responding to conservative care, the surgeon schedules a minor operative procedure under local, regional, or general anesthesia depending on size and patient factors. The procedure, reported with 38308, involves incision and drainage or other interventions (eg, excision of part of node capsule, creation of drainage channels) to restore lymph flow or drain infection. Intraoperative steps include targeted incision, evacuation of purulent material, debridement of necrotic tissue, irrigation, placement of drain if needed, and hemostasis. Postoperative workflow includes wound care instructions, possible drain management, short course antibiotics guided by culture, pain control, and follow-up for wound healing and reassessment of lymphatic function. Typical sites of service are outpatient ambulatory surgery centers, hospital outpatient departments, or inpatient operating rooms for complex infections. Common patient scenarios include persistent axillary or inguinal lymphadenitis with abscess, lymphatic channel obstruction with cellulitis, or focal infected lymph node requiring operative drainage after failed medical therapy.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
Data not available in the input.

Related Modifiers

5 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
25	CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…	- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
76	Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…	- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
287300000X	Deactivated - Christian Science Sanitorium	Inactive, use 282J00000X
261QM1102X	Military Outpatient Operational (Transportable) Component Clinic/Center	"Non-fixed" facilities or distinct parts of a "non-fixed" facility, providing outpatient medical and dental services, primarily intended for DoD activ…
213E00000X	Podiatrist	A podiatrist is a person qualified by a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree, licensed by the state, and practicing within the scope of that l…
2083T0002X	Medical Toxicology (Preventive Medicine) Physician	Medical toxicologists are physicians who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to dr…
261QE0002X	Emergency Care Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
364SM0705X	Medical-Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Clinical Nurse Specialist
2471V0106X	Vascular-Interventional Technology Radiologic Technologist	A radiologic technologist who specializes in vascular interventional and is appropriately educated and trained, consistent with nationally recognized …
246QL0901X	Diplomate Laboratory Management Specialist/Technologist	Technologists, Technicians & Other Technical Service Providers · Specialist/Technologist, Pathology

Related Payer Policy Updates

Specialty: General Surgery1 / 2

10 rows

Policy	Payer	Effective Date
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in Adults	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in Adults	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Site of Service for Ambulatory Surgical Procedures (ASC Select)	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Service	sierra health and life	2026-08-01
Medical Necessity Guidelines — Inpatient Surgical Care	Mass General Brigham Health Plan	2026-08-01
Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) - Site of Care Policy	Kaiser Permanente	2026-08-01
Inpatient Surgical Site of Service	Providence Health Plan	2026-07-01
Removal of Implantable Devices	Blue Cross Blue Shield - Rhode Island	2026-07-01

CPT 38300: Incision and Drainage of Lymph Node

CPT-38305-LYMPH-NODE-INCISION-AND-DRAINAGE

CPT 38305: Incision and Drainage of Deep Lymph Node Abscess

CPT-38380-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-CERVICAL-APPROACH

CPT 38380: Repair of Cervical Thoracic Duct

CPT-38381-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-THORACOTOMY-STERNOTOMY

CPT 38381: Thoracic Duct Repair via Thorax

CPT-38382-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-ABDOMINAL-APPROACH

CPT 38382: Thoracic Duct Repair via Abdominal Approach

Frequently Asked Questions

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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Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
Data not available in the input.

Related Modifiers

5 rows

Modifier	Description	When to Use
25	CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…	- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…
52	Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…	- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
53	Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…	- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
76	Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…	- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
26	Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…	- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…

Related Provider Taxonomies

8 rows

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
287300000X	Deactivated - Christian Science Sanitorium	Inactive, use 282J00000X
261QM1102X	Military Outpatient Operational (Transportable) Component Clinic/Center	"Non-fixed" facilities or distinct parts of a "non-fixed" facility, providing outpatient medical and dental services, primarily intended for DoD activ…
213E00000X	Podiatrist	A podiatrist is a person qualified by a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree, licensed by the state, and practicing within the scope of that l…
2083T0002X	Medical Toxicology (Preventive Medicine) Physician	Medical toxicologists are physicians who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to dr…
261QE0002X	Emergency Care Clinic/Center	Ambulatory Health Care Facilities · Clinic/Center
364SM0705X	Medical-Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist	Physician Assistants & Advanced Practice Nursing Providers · Clinical Nurse Specialist
2471V0106X	Vascular-Interventional Technology Radiologic Technologist	A radiologic technologist who specializes in vascular interventional and is appropriately educated and trained, consistent with nationally recognized …
246QL0901X	Diplomate Laboratory Management Specialist/Technologist	Technologists, Technicians & Other Technical Service Providers · Specialist/Technologist, Pathology

Related Payer Policy Updates

Specialty: General Surgery1 / 2

10 rows

Policy	Payer	Effective Date
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in Adults	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in Adults	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Site of Service for Ambulatory Surgical Procedures (ASC Select)	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select	Premera Bluecross	2026-09-01
Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Service	sierra health and life	2026-08-01
Medical Necessity Guidelines — Inpatient Surgical Care	Mass General Brigham Health Plan	2026-08-01
Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) - Site of Care Policy	Kaiser Permanente	2026-08-01
Inpatient Surgical Site of Service	Providence Health Plan	2026-07-01
Removal of Implantable Devices	Blue Cross Blue Shield - Rhode Island	2026-07-01

CPT 38300: Incision and Drainage of Lymph Node

CPT-38305-LYMPH-NODE-INCISION-AND-DRAINAGE

CPT 38305: Incision and Drainage of Deep Lymph Node Abscess

CPT-38380-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-CERVICAL-APPROACH

CPT 38380: Repair of Cervical Thoracic Duct

CPT-38381-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-THORACOTOMY-STERNOTOMY

CPT 38381: Thoracic Duct Repair via Thorax

CPT-38382-THORACIC-DUCT-REPAIR-ABDOMINAL-APPROACH

CPT 38382: Thoracic Duct Repair via Abdominal Approach

Frequently Asked Questions

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 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

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OpenPayer

CPT 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

References

CPT 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

Sign up for cpt 38308 policy alerts

CPT 38308: Incision/Drainage of Lymph Node or Lymphatic Channels

Sign up for cpt 38308 policy alerts

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

What clinical situations indicate use of CPT 38308?

What does the operative procedure for CPT 38308 typically involve?

Where is CPT 38308 commonly performed?

What preoperative evaluation and postoperative care are described for CPT 38308?

Are there related CPT or ICD-10 codes provided for CPT 38308 on this page?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Related CPT Codes

Related Modifiers

Related Provider Taxonomies

Related Payer Policy Updates

Related Codes

What clinical situations indicate use of CPT 38308?

What does the operative procedure for CPT 38308 typically involve?

Where is CPT 38308 commonly performed?

What preoperative evaluation and postoperative care are described for CPT 38308?

Are there related CPT or ICD-10 codes provided for CPT 38308 on this page?

References