CPT 47122 Hepatectomy Trisegmentectomy Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 47122: Hepatectomy, Trisegmentectomy for Liver Neoplasm

CPT code 47122 denotes a major hepatic surgical procedure — a hepatectomy that includes a trisegmentectomy resecting large lesions from three segments of the left hepatic lobe plus the anterior segment of the right liver. The code applies to treatment of both benign and malignant liver neoplasms and represents a complex, resource-intensive operative service with implications for perioperative care, facility utilization, and specialist surgical coding.

Key payers covered in this national overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context for when CPT code 47122 is used, typical sites of service, and the procedural scope that distinguishes it from smaller hepatic resections. The publication outlines expected billing considerations, common modifiers for major surgical services, and areas where coding precision affects coverage and claims processing.

This summary equips clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts with a concise reference to the code’s clinical intent and operational setting, helping align documentation and billing practices with payer expectations. Data not available in the input for specific payer reimbursement rates, ICD-10 pairings, associated taxonomies, and related codes.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 47122hepatectomyliver resectiontrisegmentectomysurgical oncologyoperative procedurehospital surgerybilling and codingmajor surgery

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 47122 describes a hepatectomy involving surgical resection of portions of the liver. The procedure includes a trisegmentectomy in which large lesions are resected from three segments of the left hepatic lobe along with the anterior segment of the right liver. It is performed for treatment of both benign and malignant hepatic neoplasms.

Service Type: Surgical resection of liver tissue (hepatectomy/trisegmentectomy)

Typical Site of Service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center with inpatient admission as indicated for major hepatic surgery

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old patient with a history of colorectal cancer presents with a solitary metastatic liver lesion in the left hepatic lobe and an adjacent large benign-appearing hemangioma involving three contiguous segments. After multidisciplinary tumor board review and preoperative imaging (contrast-enhanced CT and MRI), the hepatobiliary surgeon schedules an open hepatic resection: a left trisegmentectomy including three segments of the left lobe plus the anterior segment of the right lobe to achieve negative margins while preserving adequate future liver remnant. The clinical workflow includes preoperative evaluation (history, labs with liver function tests and coagulation studies), imaging review, informed consent, anesthesia evaluation, intraoperative ultrasound to delineate lesion borders, parenchymal transection and hemostasis, drain placement as indicated, postoperative monitoring in a step-down or ICU setting depending on remnant function, pain control, and follow-up imaging to assess for recurrence or complications.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal (primary) procedure	When this hepatectomy is the primary service performed during the operative session.
`22`	Increased procedural services

CPT 47125: Hepatectomy, Left Lobe Resection

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

CPT 47130: Hepatectomy, Right Lobe Resection

CPT-47100-EXCISIONAL-LIVER-BIOPSY-WEDGE

CPT 47100: Excisional Liver Biopsy (Wedge)

CPT-47120-HEPATECTOMY-PARTIAL-LOBE-RESECTION-HEPATIC-NEOPLASM

CPT 47120: Hepatectomy, Partial Lobe Resection

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207H00000X	Hepatology / Hepatobiliary Surgery	Complex hepatic resections are performed by hepatobiliary surgeons or surgical oncologists.
208000000X	General Surgery	Many hepatic resections are performed by general surgeons with hepatobiliary expertise.
208800000X	Surgical Oncology	Surgical oncologists commonly perform liver resections for malignant neoplasms.
2084P0800X	Transplant Surgery	Transplant surgeons may perform extended hepatic resections or team cases when complex vascular reconstruction is required.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C78.7`	Secondary malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile duct	Metastatic liver lesions are a common indication for hepatic resection to achieve disease control.
`C22.0`	Liver cell carcinoma	Primary hepatocellular carcinoma may require segmental or extended hepatectomy depending on tumor location and liver function.
`D13.4`	Benign neoplasm of liver	Large benign lesions (e.g., symptomatic adenomas or focal nodular hyperplasia) can be indications for resection.
`K71.7`	Toxic liver disease with fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver	Underlying liver disease impacts resectability and perioperative risk assessment.
`K76.0`	Fatty (change of) liver, not elsewhere classified	Steatosis affects remnant liver function and operative planning.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`47120`	Partial hepatectomy, wedge resection of liver	Performed for smaller, limited liver lesions; may be an alternative to a trisegmentectomy for smaller tumors.
`47562`	Laparoscopy, surgical; cholecystectomy	Often performed prior to or concurrently if gallbladder pathology is present or to facilitate laparoscopic approaches to the liver.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., intraoperative ultrasound)	Intraoperative ultrasound is commonly used to localize lesions and guide resection margins.
`49020`	Drainage of peritoneal abscess or peritoneal cavity (e.g., for postoperative collections)	May be performed postoperatively for complication management such as infected fluid collections.
`99223`	Initial hospital care, high severity	Typical code for initial inpatient evaluation of a patient undergoing major hepatic resection when criteria for high-severity admission are met.

OpenPayer