CPT 41114 Tongue Lesion Excision Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 41114: Tongue Lesion Excision with Local Flap Repair

CPT code 41114 represents surgical excision of a lesion from the tongue with reconstruction of the resulting defect using a local flap. This code captures both the ablative and reconstructive components of an intraoral procedure and is commonly billed for benign and malignant tongue lesions requiring primary flap repair. Nationally, accurate use of this CPT code matters for appropriate procedure reporting, surgical quality monitoring, and reimbursement alignment for head and neck surgical care.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication provides a concise review of the clinical context for using CPT code 41114, typical sites of service, and commonly associated billing considerations. Readers will find benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement trends, discussion of coding best practices in a policy context, and clinical context to clarify when excision with local flap repair is appropriate.

The content is organized to help providers, billing professionals, and policy analysts understand coding intent, payer coverage scope, and areas where documentation supports accurate reporting. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare41114CPToral surgerytongue lesionlocal flaphead and neck surgerysurgical excisionreconstructive procedure

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 41114 describes an operative procedure in which a provider excises a lesion from the tongue and reconstructs the defect using a local flap. The service type is an oral/otolaryngologic surgical excision with local flap reconstruction. The typical site of service for this procedure is an operating room or ambulatory surgical center where surgical excision and flap repair are performed.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 52-year-old male presents to the otolaryngology clinic with a 1.2 cm painful, firm lesion on the lateral border of the tongue suspicious for squamous cell carcinoma. After clinical evaluation and an incisional biopsy confirming invasive squamous cell carcinoma, the patient is scheduled for excision of the tongue lesion with immediate local flap reconstruction under general anesthesia. The surgical workflow includes preoperative assessment and consent, administration of general anesthesia, excision of the lesion with appropriate margins, intraoperative margin assessment (frozen section as indicated), design and elevation of a local tongue or adjacent mucosal flap to repair the defect, hemostasis, layered closure, and application of oral packing or dressing as needed. Postoperative care includes airway monitoring, analgesia, speech and swallowing assessment, wound care instructions, and outpatient follow-up for pathology results and possible adjuvant therapy coordination.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier (neutral)	Report when no optional modifier applies and standard reporting is appropriate
`11`	Professional component

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

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

CPT 41120: Partial Glossectomy, Less Than Half of Tongue

CPT-41155-RADICAL-TONGUE-AND-MANDIBLE-RESECTION-UNILATERAL-NECK-DISSECTION

CPT 41155: Radical Tongue and Mandible Resection with Unilateral Neck Dissection

CPT-41140-TOTAL-GLOSSECTOMY-WITH-TRACHEOSTOMY

CPT 41140: Total Glossectomy with Tracheostomy

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

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

CPT-41105-POSTERIOR-TONGUE-BIOPSY-EXCISION

CPT 41105: Posterior Tongue Biopsy, Excisional

CPT-41135-PARTIAL-GLOSSECTOMY-UNILATERAL-NECK-DISSECTION

CPT 41135: Partial Glossectomy with Unilateral Neck Dissection

CPT-41150-PARTIAL-OR-TOTAL-GLOSSECTOMY-WITH-MANDIBULECTOMY-FLOOR-MOUTH

CPT 41150: Glossectomy with Mandible and Floor-of-Mouth Resection

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

CPT 41116: Excision of Lesion, Floor of Mouth

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

CPT 41130: Partial Glossectomy, Lateral Half of Tongue

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207P00000X	Otolaryngology (ENT)	Primary specialty performing oral tongue excision and local flap reconstruction
207L00000X	Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	Frequently performs intraoral tumor excisions and local flap repairs
207Q00000X	Plastic Surgery	Performs reconstructive local flaps, especially for functional and aesthetic restoration
207K00000X	General Surgery	May perform oral cavity procedures in certain settings
207RC0000X	Pediatric Otolaryngology	Performs similar procedures in pediatric patients when applicable

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
Data not available in the input.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`41100`	Partial glossectomy, excision of lesion of tongue, anterior portion, with primary closure	Alternative procedure for small lesions where primary closure is feasible; may be used instead of local flap if defect is small
`41120`	Radical glossectomy, partial or hemiglossectomy	Performed for larger or more invasive tumors requiring wider resection beyond what `41114` addresses
`21011`	Excision of lesion of lip; excision of lesion of oral mucosa (not otherwise specified)	May be performed for lesions of adjacent oral sites or smaller mucosal excisions during staging
`88305`	Surgical pathology, gross and microscopic examination, moderate complexity	Pathology processing and interpretation of the excised specimen; commonly billed after `41114`
`31500`	Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure or anesthesia-related airway management	May be performed for airway control during general anesthesia for intraoral surgery

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