Summary & Overview

CPT 47383: Percutaneous Cryoablation of Liver Tumors

CPT code 47383 represents percutaneous cryosurgical ablation of one or more liver tumors, a minimally invasive technique that freezes tumor tissue to achieve local control. This code is clinically significant as percutaneous tumor ablation is an important alternative or adjunct to surgical resection and thermal ablation methods for selected patients with primary or metastatic liver lesions. Nationally, utilization intersects oncology, interventional radiology, and outpatient procedural care pathways, affecting payer coverage and authorization workflows.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and typical service settings, payer coverage considerations, and common billing modifiers associated with procedural variations. The publication provides benchmarks where available, summaries of relevant policy updates that influence coverage and site-of-service decisions, and practical billing considerations such as documentation elements that support medical necessity for percutaneous cryoablation.

The content is intended for revenue cycle professionals, interventional radiologists, surgical oncologists, and policy analysts seeking a national-level reference for coding and payer interactions related to percutaneous liver cryoablation under CPT code 47383. Data not available in the input will be noted where applicable.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare47383CPTliver cryoablationpercutaneous ablationinterventional radiologyoncologyprocedure codingimage-guided procedure

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 47383 describes percutaneous cryosurgical ablation of one or more liver tumors. The procedure uses a freezing technique (cryosurgery) to ablate tumor tissue and is performed through the skin via percutaneous approach.

Service type: Percutaneous tumor ablation (cryosurgery)

Typical site of service: Interventional radiology suite or other percutaneous procedural setting, commonly performed in outpatient procedural units or inpatient interventional suites depending on clinical complexity and patient status.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old patient with a history of colorectal cancer presents with one or more suspicious hepatic lesions on surveillance imaging. Cross-sectional imaging (contrast-enhanced CT or MRI) demonstrates one or two discrete liver metastases amenable to percutaneous ablation. The interventional radiology team schedules a percutaneous cryoablation of the liver tumors performed under conscious sedation or general anesthesia in an outpatient interventional suite or hospital interventional radiology (IR) department.

Pre-procedure workflow includes review of recent imaging and labs (coagulation profile, platelets), informed consent discussing risks (bleeding, infection, adjacent organ injury), and percutaneous planning with ultrasound or CT guidance. During the procedure, the operator inserts cryoprobes through the skin into the target lesions using image guidance, performs controlled freeze–thaw cycles to ablate tumor tissue, monitors iceball formation, and confirms ablation extent. Post-procedure monitoring occurs in recovery for vital signs, pain control, and evaluation for immediate complications prior to discharge with follow-up imaging planned to assess treatment response.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Primary procedure	When this cryoablation is the primary service for the encounter.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RC0000X	Interventional Radiology	Percutaneous image-guided tumor ablation is commonly performed by interventional radiologists.
2080P0200X	General Surgery	Surgical oncologists or hepatobiliary surgeons may perform or coordinate ablations in select cases.
207L00000X	Vascular & Interventional Radiology	Alternative taxonomy used for IR clinicians performing percutaneous ablation.
2086S0122X	Surgical Oncology	Hepatic tumor management including operative and nonoperative ablation strategies.

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`77012`	CT guidance for needle placement (eg, tumor localization)	Often used to report CT guidance during percutaneous probe placement for cryoablation.
`76942`	Ultrasound guidance for needle placement	Used when ultrasound guidance is the primary imaging modality for probe placement.
`70450`	CT head without contrast	Data not applicable to liver; Data not available in the input.
`99223`	Initial hospital care, typically 70 minutes or more	May represent inpatient initial evaluation for patients admitted for the procedure.
`96372`	Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection (e.g., medication administration)	May be used for IV sedation medications or adjunctive injections if reportable in the setting.

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