Summary & Overview
CPT 44206: Laparoscopic Partial Colectomy with End Colostomy
CPT code 44206 represents a laparoscopic partial colectomy in which the surgeon creates an end colostomy and closes the distal bowel segment. This operative code is used for minimally invasive colorectal resections that require exteriorizing the proximal bowel as a stoma and managing the distal segment. Nationally, procedures coded with 44206 are important for management of obstructive, ischemic, inflammatory, or neoplastic colonic disease when diversion is indicated.
Key payers commonly involved in coverage for this procedure include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, and the kinds of metrics and benchmarks commonly reported for operative colorectal services. The publication covers expected utilization patterns, coding considerations relevant to laparoscopic vs open approaches, and how payers typically classify this surgical service for inpatient and ambulatory settings.
This summary equips clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts with a concise reference to the code’s clinical meaning, the national payer landscape addressed, and the analytical topics — including benchmarks, reimbursement context, and clinical indications — that are discussed in the full publication.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 44206 describes a laparoscopic partial colectomy with creation of a colostomy (end colostomy) and closure of the distal segment. The procedure involves laparoscopic removal of a portion of the colon, exteriorization and maturation of the proximal bowel as a stoma on the abdominal wall, and closure of the distal segment of the resected intestine.
-
Service type: Abdominal laparoscopic colorectal surgery (partial colectomy with end colostomy)
-
Typical site of service: Operating room in an acute care hospital or ambulatory surgical center for patients requiring laparoscopic colorectal resection and stoma formation
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a sixty-year-old individual presenting with symptomatic diverticulitis with complications (abscess or perforation), obstructing left-sided colonic neoplasm, or severe inflammatory bowel disease unresponsive to medical therapy. The patient has preoperative evaluation including history and physical, labs, cross-sectional abdominal imaging, and bowel preparation when indicated. The procedure is performed laparoscopically in an operating room under general anesthesia. The surgeon mobilizes the affected colon segment, performs resection of the diseased left colon or sigmoid colon, creates an end colostomy (colostomy of the proximal limb to the abdominal wall — end colostomy/stoma), and closes the distal rectal stump. The typical inpatient postoperative course includes monitoring in a post-anesthesia care unit, pain control, stoma care education by enterostomal therapy nurses, and discharge planning. Indications include obstructing tumor, perforated diverticulitis with contamination, or severe colonic inflammation where primary anastomosis is not appropriate.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Patient not treated - no report | Rarely used; only when no treatment rendered during scheduled procedure (typically not applicable for completed resections). |
11 |