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CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

CPT code 41112 denotes surgical excision of a lesion from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. This procedure is clinically important for removal of benign or malignant lesions on the oral tongue, with implications for oncologic control, speech and swallowing function, and post-operative rehabilitation. Nationally, accurate coding of oral tongue excisions impacts claims processing, episode-of-care tracking, and quality measurement for head and neck surgical care.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Coverage policies and prior authorization practices for oral cavity procedures vary by payer, influencing site-of-service decisions and billing workflows.

Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context and service setting for CPT code 41112, common payer considerations, and the types of benchmarks and policy updates typically examined when reviewing surgical head and neck procedure coding. The publication summarizes typical sites of service, payer coverage landscape, and operational billing considerations that affect claims submission and reimbursement. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 41112 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider excises a lesion from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. This represents a targeted excision of a localized tongue lesion and typically involves removal of mucosal and superficial muscular tissue from the oral tongue.

Service type: Surgical excision of lesion on the anterior tongue
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating room, or outpatient surgical clinic depending on clinical complexity and anesthesia needs

Data not available in the input.

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CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Surgical excision of lesion on the anterior tongue
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or hospital operating room, or outpatient surgical clinic depending on clinical complexity and anesthesia needs

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is an adult presenting to an otolaryngology or oral surgery clinic with a suspicious or symptomatic lesion on the anterior two-thirds of the tongue (oral tongue). Common presentations include a persistent ulcerated lesion, exophytic mass, focal induration, or biopsy-proven dysplasia or squamous cell carcinoma requiring partial glossectomy. The clinical workflow includes history and head/neck examination, flexible or direct laryngoscopy as indicated, imaging (contrast CT or MRI of the neck for staging when cancer is suspected), and preoperative evaluation. In the operating room under general anesthesia, the surgeon performs an excision of the lesion with appropriate margins; frozen section pathology may be used intraoperatively to confirm margins. Hemostasis and layered closure are performed; depending on defect size, primary closure or reconstruction (local flap, free flap) may follow. Postoperative care includes airway monitoring, pain control, swallow assessment, pathology review, and referral for adjuvant therapy if malignancy is confirmed.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`25`	Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the day of a procedure	Use when an E/M visit for a separately identifiable problem is provided same day as the excision
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use if identical lesions are excised from both sides of the tongue and payer accepts bilateral reporting
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the excision is partially reduced or less than described by `41112`
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but discontinued due to extenuating circumstances
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure from another service on the same day
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing different operative components
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same surgeon repeats the procedure later the same day
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use if a different surgeon repeats the procedure the same day
`78`	Unplanned return to operating room for a related procedure	Use when the patient returns to the OR for a complication of the original excision
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period
`26`	Professional component	Rarely used; apply if reporting only professional service separate from technical components when applicable
`TC`	Technical component	Rarely used; apply if reporting only technical component when split billing is permitted
`LT`	Left side modifier	Use to identify laterality when payers request laterality reporting for tongue procedures
`RT`	Right side modifier	Use to identify laterality when payers request laterality reporting for tongue procedures

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207G00000X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Common specialty performing partial glossectomy and tongue lesion excision
2080P0007X	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	Performs oral cavity excisions and reconstructions
208600000X	Plastic Surgery	Involved when reconstruction or complex flap repair is required
2085R0202X	General Surgery	Performs oral cavity procedures in some centers
208D00000X	Surgical Oncology	Manages head and neck cancer resections and multidisciplinary care

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C02.9`	Malignant neoplasm of the tongue, unspecified	Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue often requires excision
`C02.0`	Malignant neoplasm of dorsal surface of tongue	Tumors of the anterior two-thirds may be coded here when dorsal surface involved
`C02.1`	Malignant neoplasm of border of tongue	Lateral border lesions of the anterior tongue commonly require partial glossectomy
`K13.0`	Leukoplakia of oral mucosa, including tongue	Potentially premalignant lesion that may be excised for diagnosis or treatment
`K13.2`	Benign neoplasm of oral cavity and pharynx	Benign masses of the tongue amenable to excision
`R13.11`	Dysphagia, oral phase	Symptomatic lesions impairing oral phase of swallowing where excision may relieve symptoms
`Z85.828`	Personal history of malignant neoplasm of oral cavity and pharynx	Relevant for surveillance and consideration of excision of recurrent or suspicious lesions

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`41899`	Unlisted procedure, lip and oral mucosa	Used for atypical or nonstandard oral cavity excisions not covered by specific codes
`40610`	Excision of lesion of palate, floor of mouth, or buccal mucosa; single	May be used for lesions in adjacent oral subsites when procedures are combined
`42220`	Glossectomy, hemiglossectomy; simple	Alternative code for more extensive partial glossectomy procedures involving a larger portion of the tongue
`20926`	Muscle, myocutaneous or fasciocutaneous flap with microvascular anastomosis	Used when free flap reconstruction follows excision of a large tongue defect
`31500`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency or elective	Represents airway management typically performed at the time of general anesthesia for the excision
`88305`	Level IV surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination	Represents routine pathology processing and reporting of the excised tongue specimen

CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

CPT-41105-POSTERIOR-TONGUE-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41105: Posterior Tongue Biopsy, Excisional

CPT-41108-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41108: Biopsy, Incision and Excision of Floor of Mouth Tissue

CPT-41110-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41110: Excision of Lesion from Tongue

CPT-41113-EXCISION-LESION-POSTERIOR-TONGUE

CPT 41113: Excision of Lesion, Posterior One-Third of Tongue

CPT-41114-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-LOCAL-FLAP-REPAIR

CPT 41114: Tongue Lesion Excision with Local Flap Repair

CPT-41115-LINGUAL-FRENUM-EXCISION-BASE-OF-TONGUE

CPT 41115: Excision of Lingual Frenum at Base of Tongue

CPT-41116-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41116: Excision of Lesion, Floor of Mouth

CPT-41120-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LESS-THAN-HALF-TONGUE

CPT 41120: Partial Glossectomy, Less Than Half of Tongue

CPT-41130-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LATERAL-TONGUE-RESECTION

CPT 41130: Partial Glossectomy, Lateral Half of Tongue

Showing 1–10 of 16

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`25`	Significant, separately identifiable evaluation and management service by the same physician on the day of a procedure	Use when an E/M visit for a separately identifiable problem is provided same day as the excision
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use if identical lesions are excised from both sides of the tongue and payer accepts bilateral reporting
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the excision is partially reduced or less than described by `41112`
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but discontinued due to extenuating circumstances
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure from another service on the same day
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing different operative components
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use if the same surgeon repeats the procedure later the same day
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use if a different surgeon repeats the procedure the same day
`78`	Unplanned return to operating room for a related procedure	Use when the patient returns to the OR for a complication of the original excision
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period
`26`	Professional component	Rarely used; apply if reporting only professional service separate from technical components when applicable
`TC`	Technical component	Rarely used; apply if reporting only technical component when split billing is permitted
`LT`	Left side modifier	Use to identify laterality when payers request laterality reporting for tongue procedures
`RT`	Right side modifier	Use to identify laterality when payers request laterality reporting for tongue procedures

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207G00000X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Common specialty performing partial glossectomy and tongue lesion excision
2080P0007X	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	Performs oral cavity excisions and reconstructions
208600000X	Plastic Surgery	Involved when reconstruction or complex flap repair is required
2085R0202X	General Surgery	Performs oral cavity procedures in some centers
208D00000X	Surgical Oncology	Manages head and neck cancer resections and multidisciplinary care

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C02.9`	Malignant neoplasm of the tongue, unspecified	Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue often requires excision
`C02.0`	Malignant neoplasm of dorsal surface of tongue	Tumors of the anterior two-thirds may be coded here when dorsal surface involved
`C02.1`	Malignant neoplasm of border of tongue	Lateral border lesions of the anterior tongue commonly require partial glossectomy
`K13.0`	Leukoplakia of oral mucosa, including tongue	Potentially premalignant lesion that may be excised for diagnosis or treatment
`K13.2`	Benign neoplasm of oral cavity and pharynx	Benign masses of the tongue amenable to excision
`R13.11`	Dysphagia, oral phase	Symptomatic lesions impairing oral phase of swallowing where excision may relieve symptoms
`Z85.828`	Personal history of malignant neoplasm of oral cavity and pharynx	Relevant for surveillance and consideration of excision of recurrent or suspicious lesions

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`41899`	Unlisted procedure, lip and oral mucosa	Used for atypical or nonstandard oral cavity excisions not covered by specific codes
`40610`	Excision of lesion of palate, floor of mouth, or buccal mucosa; single	May be used for lesions in adjacent oral subsites when procedures are combined
`42220`	Glossectomy, hemiglossectomy; simple	Alternative code for more extensive partial glossectomy procedures involving a larger portion of the tongue
`20926`	Muscle, myocutaneous or fasciocutaneous flap with microvascular anastomosis	Used when free flap reconstruction follows excision of a large tongue defect
`31500`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency or elective	Represents airway management typically performed at the time of general anesthesia for the excision
`88305`	Level IV surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination	Represents routine pathology processing and reporting of the excised tongue specimen

CPT 41100: Excisional Tongue Biopsy, Anterior Two Thirds

CPT-41105-POSTERIOR-TONGUE-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41105: Posterior Tongue Biopsy, Excisional

CPT-41108-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41108: Biopsy, Incision and Excision of Floor of Mouth Tissue

CPT-41110-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41110: Excision of Lesion from Tongue

CPT-41113-EXCISION-LESION-POSTERIOR-TONGUE

CPT 41113: Excision of Lesion, Posterior One-Third of Tongue

CPT-41114-TONGUE-LESION-EXCISION-LOCAL-FLAP-REPAIR

CPT 41114: Tongue Lesion Excision with Local Flap Repair

CPT-41115-LINGUAL-FRENUM-EXCISION-BASE-OF-TONGUE

CPT 41115: Excision of Lingual Frenum at Base of Tongue

CPT-41116-FLOOR-OF-MOUTH-LESION-EXCISION

CPT 41116: Excision of Lesion, Floor of Mouth

CPT-41120-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LESS-THAN-HALF-TONGUE

CPT 41120: Partial Glossectomy, Less Than Half of Tongue

CPT-41130-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-LATERAL-TONGUE-RESECTION

CPT 41130: Partial Glossectomy, Lateral Half of Tongue

Showing 1–10 of 16

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

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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

CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

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Billing Code Overview

CPT 41112: Excision of Lesion, Anterior Two-Thirds of Tongue

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT 41112 represent and where is it usually performed?

Which modifiers are relevant when billing CPT 41112?

What are common related CPT codes I might see billed with or instead of 41112?

Which ICD-10 diagnosis codes are commonly associated with procedures coded as 41112?

Which specialties perform CPT 41112 and what is the typical clinical workflow?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT 41112 represent and where is it usually performed?

Which modifiers are relevant when billing CPT 41112?

What are common related CPT codes I might see billed with or instead of 41112?

Which ICD-10 diagnosis codes are commonly associated with procedures coded as 41112?

Which specialties perform CPT 41112 and what is the typical clinical workflow?

References