CPT 44141 Colon Resection Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 44141: Colon Resection with Skin-Level Cecostomy or Colostomy

CPT code 44141 identifies a surgical colon resection with creation of a skin-level cecostomy or colostomy for fecal diversion. Nationally, this code captures procedures used to manage colonic disease, obstruction, trauma, or other conditions requiring resection and externalization of the bowel. Accurate coding affects hospital and surgeon billing, utilization monitoring, and quality measurement for ostomy care.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, and common billing considerations. The publication also outlines benchmark concepts, payer coverage patterns, and potential policy or coding updates that influence billing and reimbursement for colon resection with stoma formation.

This summary equips clinicians, billing professionals, and policy analysts with an understanding of what CPT code 44141 represents, why correct use matters for claims and outcomes tracking, and where to look for payer-specific rules or national policy guidance. Data not available in the input is identified where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicarecpt-44141colon-resectioncolostomycecostomysurgerystomageneral-surgeryhospital-proceduresfecal-diversion

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 44141 describes a surgical procedure in which a portion of the colon is removed and part of the cecum or colon is brought through a separate incision to the skin as a skin-level cecostomy or colostomy for waste diversion and removal. This procedure involves resection of diseased or damaged colonic tissue followed by exteriorization of the bowel to create a stoma.

Service type: Surgical resection with creation of a skin-level cecostomy or colostomy
Typical site of service: Operating room or surgical suite in an inpatient or outpatient hospital setting

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old male with advanced sigmoid colon carcinoma presents with large-bowel obstruction and requires urgent surgical diversion. Preoperative imaging demonstrates an obstructing left-sided colon mass with proximal colonic dilatation. The surgical team performs a partial colectomy to resect the tumor-bearing segment and creates a left-sided end colostomy brought to the skin as a skin-level colostomy for fecal diversion and decompression. The perioperative workflow includes preop evaluation, informed consent documenting indication and planned stoma, general endotracheal anesthesia, intraoperative resection and stoma creation, immediate postoperative monitoring in PACU, and inpatient care for bowel recovery, ostomy education, and discharge planning with home health or ostomy nursing as needed.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier (default)	Use when no special reporting modifiers apply.
`11`	Primary Procedure	Use when this procedure is the primary service performed during the encounter.

CPT 44132: Donor Small Intestine Resection and Cold Preservation

CPT-44157-TOTAL-PROCTOCOLECTOMY-ILEOANAL-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 44157: Total Proctocolectomy with Ileoanal Anastomosis

CPT-44145-PARTIAL-COLECTOMY-COLORECTAL-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 44145: Partial Colectomy with Colorectal Anastomosis

CPT-44126-SMALL-BOWEL-RESECTION-CONGENITAL-ATRESIA-END-TO-END-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 44126: Small Bowel Resection for Congenital Atresia with End-to-End Anastomosis

CPT-44143-COLON-RESECTION-WITH-END-COLOSTOMY

CPT 44143: Colon Resection with End Colostomy

CPT-44125-SMALL-INTESTINE-RESECTION-WITH-STOMA-CREATION

CPT 44125: Small Intestine Resection with Stoma Creation

CPT-44150-TOTAL-COLECTOMY-ILEOSTOMY-OR-ILEORECTAL-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 44150: Total Colectomy with Ileostomy or Ileorectal Anastomosis

CPT-44140-PARTIAL-COLECTOMY-WITH-PRIMARY-ANASTOMOSIS

CPT 44140: Partial Colectomy with Primary Anastomosis

CPT-44135-SMALL-BOWEL-TRANSPLANT-WITH-CADAVER-INTESTINE-RECONSTRUCTION

CPT 44135: Small Bowel Transplant with Cadaver Donor Intestine

CPT-44128-SMALL-BOWEL-RESECTION-ANASTOMOSIS-CONGENITAL-ATRESIA

CPT 44128: Small Bowel Resection and Anastomosis for Congenital Atresia

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207P00000X`	General Surgery	Primary specialty performing colon resection with colostomy/cecostomy.
`207V00000X`	Colon and Rectal Surgery	Subspecialists frequently perform resections and ostomy creation for colorectal disease.
`208600000X`	Family Medicine	May perform ostomy care coordination and postoperative management in some settings.
`363A00000X`	Acute Care Nurse Practitioner	Advanced practice providers involved in perioperative management and wound/ostomy care.
`208000000X`	Internal Medicine	Hospitalist physicians often manage inpatient medical care and comorbidities pre- and postoperatively.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K56.6`	Ileus, unspecified	Bowel obstruction or ileus may necessitate diversion with colostomy when decompression is required.
`K63.5`	Polyp of colon, unspecified	Large or unresectable colonic polyps may require segmental resection and ostomy creation.
`C18.7`	Malignant neoplasm of sigmoid colon	Colorectal malignancy is a common indication for partial colectomy with colostomy.
`K65.0`	Acute peritonitis	Peritonitis from perforation or infection may require resection and diversion.
`K57.20`	Diverticulitis of large intestine with perforation and abscess, unspecified	Complicated diverticulitis often managed with resection and colostomy for source control.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`44140`	Colectomy, partial; with anastomosis (for example, ileocolostomy, colocolostomy)	May be performed when resection with primary anastomosis is possible instead of colostomy; alternative operative approach.
`44227`	Laparoscopy, surgical; colectomy, partial, with anastomosis	Minimally invasive approach alternative or adjunct when feasible; may precede conversion to open and colostomy creation.
`44143`	Colectomy, partial; with colostomy or ileostomy (separate procedure)	Closely related code when resection is combined with creation of an ostomy; selection depends on procedure specifics and documentation.
`43830`	Colostomy; permanent	Used when a permanent end colostomy is created explicitly; related when ostomy is intended as permanent diversion.
`49655`	Repair, parastomal hernia, with or without mesh	Potential subsequent procedure for stoma-related complications and follows initial colostomy creation.

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