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CPT 47120: Hepatectomy, Partial Lobe Resection

CPT code 47120 denotes a hepatectomy — surgical resection of part of the liver, including partial lobe removal, performed to treat benign or malignant hepatic neoplasms. This code captures a major operative hepatobiliary procedure with implications for surgical case mix, facility resource use, and postoperative care planning across the country.

Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the code, typical sites of service, and the common payer landscape. The publication summarizes national-level benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement patterns where available, notes relevant policy or coverage themes that affect access to hepatic resection, and clarifies coding and billing considerations that commonly arise for major liver resections.

This resource is aimed at hospital administrators, surgical billing teams, and policy professionals seeking a clear, national overview of CPT code 47120, its clinical role in treating hepatic neoplasms, and the payer environment that influences payment and utilization.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 47120 describes a hepatectomy, the surgical resection of a portion of the liver. The procedure includes partial resection of a liver lobe and is performed for treatment of benign or malignant hepatic neoplasms.

Service type: Open or laparoscopic surgical resection of hepatic tissue for tumor removal
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center with inpatient or outpatient recovery depending on extent of resection

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CPT 47120: Hepatectomy, Partial Lobe Resection

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Open or laparoscopic surgical resection of hepatic tissue for tumor removal
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center with inpatient or outpatient recovery depending on extent of resection

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 58-year-old patient with a solitary 4.5 cm hepatic mass identified on cross-sectional imaging is scheduled for an open partial hepatectomy (CPT 47120) for definitive treatment. Preoperative workup includes liver function tests, coagulation profile, CT or MRI liver protocol, cardiopulmonary evaluation, and review by hepatobiliary surgery. The patient is admitted to the hospital on the day of surgery, receives general anesthesia, and undergoes anatomic resection of the involved hepatic segment(s) including partial resection of a lobe to achieve negative margins for a suspected malignant neoplasm. Intraoperative ultrasound is used to define lesion margins and to guide parenchymal transection. Estimated blood loss is documented and transfusion is recorded if given. Postoperative care includes monitoring in a post-anesthesia care unit, admission to a surgical ward or intensive care unit based on clinical status, serial labs for liver function and hemoglobin, pain control, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, and discharge planning with outpatient follow-up and oncology consultation if malignancy is confirmed. Billing reflects a major operative procedure performed in an inpatient or inpatient-equivalent surgical setting with global surgical period and typical hospital resources.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when documented work, effort, time, or technical difficulty substantially exceeds the typical for `CPT 47120`.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when a planned hepatectomy is intentionally partially performed or aborted with reduced scope.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but stopped due to extenuating circumstances or patient safety concerns.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons from different specialties perform distinct portions of the hepatectomy and documentation supports co-surgery.
`66`	Surgical team	Use when a surgical team performs distinct critical elements of the hepatectomy under a documented team model.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR after initial procedure	Use when the patient returns to the OR related to the original hepatectomy during the global period.
`79`	Unrelated procedure during global period	Use when an unrelated surgery is performed during the global period.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Rare for hepatic resections; use only if procedure is performed bilaterally in anatomic context (documentation must justify).
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when `CPT 47120` is billed with additional distinct procedures during the same operative session.
`22`	(listed above)	(see first entry)
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a distinct procedural service unrelated by site or separate from other billed services during the same encounter.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when a repeat hepatectomy-type procedure is performed by the same physician within the same global period (if applicable).
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when a repeat hepatectomy-type procedure is performed by a different physician within the same global period.
`AS`	Physician certified in advanced cardiac life support was present	Use when applicable for documentation of anesthesia-related credentialing (site/payor rules may vary).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207VC0200X`	General Surgery	Hepatobiliary and liver resections commonly performed by general surgeons with hepatobiliary focus.
`2080P0208X`	Surgical Oncology	Surgical oncologists frequently perform hepatic resections for malignant neoplasms.
`207VC0000X`	Transplant Surgery	Hepatic resections, complex segmental hepatectomies, or combined procedures may be performed by transplant/hepatobiliary surgeons.
`207RG0300X`	Colon & Rectal Surgery	Colorectal surgeons may participate when synchronous colorectal and hepatic metastasis procedures are planned.
`207XS0101X`	Thoracic Surgery	Thoracic surgeons may be part of multidisciplinary teams for tumors involving diaphragm or adjacent thoracic structures.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C22.0`	Hepatocellular carcinoma	Primary malignant liver tumor commonly treated with partial hepatectomy when resectable.
`C78.7`	Secondary malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile duct	Metastatic liver disease (e.g., colorectal metastases) often managed with hepatic resection.
`D01.3`	Carcinoma in situ of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts	Preinvasive lesions that may prompt surgical resection based on risk assessment.
`D13.4`	Benign neoplasm of liver	Benign lesions (adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia) that are symptomatic or large may require resection.
`K76.89`	Other specified diseases of liver	Includes non-specific hepatic disorders where focal lesions necessitate resection.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32551`	Tube thoracostomy, includes water-seal drainage, when performed for pleural effusion or pneumothorax	Used if intraoperative or postoperative pleural drainage is required due to diaphragm involvement or pleural complications.
`43886`	Laparoscopy, surgical; enterolysis, adhesiolysis, any method	May be performed laparoscopically before or instead of open approach for liver lesions amenable to minimally invasive resection.
`76998`	Ultrasonic guidance, intraoperative	Intraoperative ultrasound is commonly used to localize hepatic lesions and guide resection margins.
`99152`	Moderate sedation services provided by the same physician performing a diagnostic or therapeutic service	May apply to portions of care if conscious sedation is used for adjunct procedures; billing depends on payer rules.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Routine perioperative laboratory sampling for liver function tests and CBCs.
`99140`	Anesthesia complicated procedure (example adjunct)	Used when anesthesia complexity exceeds typical due to hepatic resection complexity (payers have specific rules).

Related Codes

CPT-47100-EXCISIONAL-LIVER-BIOPSY-WEDGE

CPT 47100: Excisional Liver Biopsy (Wedge)

CPT-47122-HEPATECTOMY-TRISEGMENTECTOMY-LIVER-RESECTION

CPT 47122: Hepatectomy, Trisegmentectomy for Liver Neoplasm

CPT-47125-HEPATECTOMY-LEFT-LOBE-RESECTION

CPT 47125: Hepatectomy, Left Lobe Resection

CPT-47130-RIGHT-HEPATECTOMY-HEPATECTOMY-LIVER-RESECTION

CPT 47130: Hepatectomy, Right Lobe Resection

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
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when documented work, effort, time, or technical difficulty substantially exceeds the typical for `CPT 47120`.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when a planned hepatectomy is intentionally partially performed or aborted with reduced scope.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but stopped due to extenuating circumstances or patient safety concerns.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons from different specialties perform distinct portions of the hepatectomy and documentation supports co-surgery.
`66`	Surgical team	Use when a surgical team performs distinct critical elements of the hepatectomy under a documented team model.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR after initial procedure	Use when the patient returns to the OR related to the original hepatectomy during the global period.
`79`	Unrelated procedure during global period	Use when an unrelated surgery is performed during the global period.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Rare for hepatic resections; use only if procedure is performed bilaterally in anatomic context (documentation must justify).
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when `CPT 47120` is billed with additional distinct procedures during the same operative session.
`22`	(listed above)	(see first entry)
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a distinct procedural service unrelated by site or separate from other billed services during the same encounter.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when a repeat hepatectomy-type procedure is performed by the same physician within the same global period (if applicable).
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when a repeat hepatectomy-type procedure is performed by a different physician within the same global period.
`AS`	Physician certified in advanced cardiac life support was present	Use when applicable for documentation of anesthesia-related credentialing (site/payor rules may vary).

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207VC0200X`	General Surgery	Hepatobiliary and liver resections commonly performed by general surgeons with hepatobiliary focus.
`2080P0208X`	Surgical Oncology	Surgical oncologists frequently perform hepatic resections for malignant neoplasms.
`207VC0000X`	Transplant Surgery	Hepatic resections, complex segmental hepatectomies, or combined procedures may be performed by transplant/hepatobiliary surgeons.
`207RG0300X`	Colon & Rectal Surgery	Colorectal surgeons may participate when synchronous colorectal and hepatic metastasis procedures are planned.
`207XS0101X`	Thoracic Surgery	Thoracic surgeons may be part of multidisciplinary teams for tumors involving diaphragm or adjacent thoracic structures.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C22.0`	Hepatocellular carcinoma	Primary malignant liver tumor commonly treated with partial hepatectomy when resectable.
`C78.7`	Secondary malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile duct	Metastatic liver disease (e.g., colorectal metastases) often managed with hepatic resection.
`D01.3`	Carcinoma in situ of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts	Preinvasive lesions that may prompt surgical resection based on risk assessment.
`D13.4`	Benign neoplasm of liver	Benign lesions (adenoma, focal nodular hyperplasia) that are symptomatic or large may require resection.
`K76.89`	Other specified diseases of liver	Includes non-specific hepatic disorders where focal lesions necessitate resection.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`32551`	Tube thoracostomy, includes water-seal drainage, when performed for pleural effusion or pneumothorax	Used if intraoperative or postoperative pleural drainage is required due to diaphragm involvement or pleural complications.
`43886`	Laparoscopy, surgical; enterolysis, adhesiolysis, any method	May be performed laparoscopically before or instead of open approach for liver lesions amenable to minimally invasive resection.
`76998`	Ultrasonic guidance, intraoperative	Intraoperative ultrasound is commonly used to localize hepatic lesions and guide resection margins.
`99152`	Moderate sedation services provided by the same physician performing a diagnostic or therapeutic service	May apply to portions of care if conscious sedation is used for adjunct procedures; billing depends on payer rules.
`36415`	Collection of venous blood by venipuncture	Routine perioperative laboratory sampling for liver function tests and CBCs.
`99140`	Anesthesia complicated procedure (example adjunct)	Used when anesthesia complexity exceeds typical due to hepatic resection complexity (payers have specific rules).

Related Codes

CPT-47100-EXCISIONAL-LIVER-BIOPSY-WEDGE

CPT 47100: Excisional Liver Biopsy (Wedge)

CPT-47122-HEPATECTOMY-TRISEGMENTECTOMY-LIVER-RESECTION

CPT 47122: Hepatectomy, Trisegmentectomy for Liver Neoplasm

CPT-47125-HEPATECTOMY-LEFT-LOBE-RESECTION

CPT 47125: Hepatectomy, Left Lobe Resection

CPT-47130-RIGHT-HEPATECTOMY-HEPATECTOMY-LIVER-RESECTION

CPT 47130: Hepatectomy, Right Lobe Resection

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

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CPT 47120: Hepatectomy, Partial Lobe Resection

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Billing Code Overview

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OpenPayer

CPT 47120: Hepatectomy, Partial Lobe Resection

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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