Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

CPT code 47480 designates an incision of the gallbladder to inspect its interior, remove stones, or perform drainage. It represents a focused surgical intervention used when endoscopic or laparoscopic approaches are unsuitable or when direct access to the gallbladder lumen is required. Nationally, this procedure is relevant for acute biliary presentations where stone extraction or drainage cannot be achieved noninvasively and where surgical exploration is indicated.

Key payers in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The publication outlines how CPT code 47480 is billed across surgical service lines, typical sites of service, and the clinical contexts that commonly prompt use of the code. Readers will find benchmarks for utilization and payment patterns, summaries of relevant billing policy considerations, and clinical context describing when an incision and exploration of the gallbladder is performed versus alternative biliary procedures.

The report provides a concise reference for coding, claims review, and policy teams seeking to understand where 47480 fits within gallbladder and biliary service lines, and what to expect in terms of payer coverage frameworks and clinical justification for the procedure.

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 47480 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 47480 describes a procedure in which the provider identifies and incises the gallbladder to directly examine its lumen, remove a stone, or provide drainage. This procedure is a surgical gallbladder incision typically performed to relieve obstruction, extract impacted stones, or drain infected or retained bile.

Service Type: Surgical procedural service (open or incision-based gallbladder procedure)

Typical Site of Service: Operating room or procedural suite, often in an inpatient or ambulatory surgical setting

Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

Customize your policy alerts

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

Get alerted when payer policies referencing 47480 are released or updated.

Monitor payer policy activity

Receive email alerts as soon as relevant payer policies are published or updated.

Billing Code Overview

Service Type: Surgical procedural service (open or incision-based gallbladder procedure)

Typical Site of Service: Operating room or procedural suite, often in an inpatient or ambulatory surgical setting

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 52-year-old patient presents to the hospital emergency department with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice consistent with acute cholecystitis complicated by an impacted gallstone and localized empyema of the gallbladder. Initial evaluation includes history, physical exam, laboratory studies (CBC, CMP, liver function tests), and imaging with abdominal ultrasound or CT showing a distended gallbladder with an obstructing stone. The surgical team obtains informed consent for an open or laparoscopic operative approach. Intraoperatively the surgeon identifies and incises the gallbladder to examine the lumen, evacuate pus and bile, and remove impacted stone fragments; irrigation and drainage are performed and a drain may be left in place. Typical workflow: preoperative anesthesia evaluation, operative incision and exposure of the gallbladder, intraoperative cholangiography if indicated, incision of the gallbladder (CPT 47480), stone extraction or drainage, hemostasis and closure, postoperative monitoring in recovery or inpatient unit, and discharge planning with antibiotics and follow-up for potential definitive cholecystectomy if only drainage was performed.

Coding Specifications

Modifier tables and provider taxonomies below present the most clinically relevant selections for this procedure.

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the work or time required is substantially greater than typical for `CPT 47480` and documentation supports complexity.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned (e.g., limited incision/drainage).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but terminated for patient-related or unforeseen clinical reasons.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure when other separate biliary procedures are performed the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons operate together as primary surgeons for a complex biliary case.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR (related)	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period.
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service during global period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period (not commonly used for this code but included when applicable).
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the same procedure on the same day (note: not in raw list; excluded per provided list).
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when multiple procedures are performed during the same operative session to indicate multiple-procedure editing (physical resource sharing).
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when general anesthesia is not used and the procedure is performed under local/other anesthesia that is considered unusual for the procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207L00000X	General Surgery	General surgeons commonly perform gallbladder incisions for exploration, drainage, and stone removal.
207P00000X	Vascular Surgery	Vascular surgeons may be involved in complex reoperations or when vascular control is needed, though uncommon.
208500000X	Gastroenterology	Gastroenterologists perform endoscopic biliary procedures; may collaborate for intraoperative cholangiography or ERCP planning.
364S00000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians perform initial stabilization and may perform bedside gallbladder drainage in unstable patients prior to operative management.
207K00000X	Colon and Rectal Surgery	Occasionally involved in complex abdominal operations that include biliary exploration as part of multi-quadrant surgery.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K80.00`	Calculus of gallbladder with acute cholecystitis without obstruction	Common indication when an impacted gallstone causes acute inflammation and incision/drainage is needed.
`K80.10`	Calculus of gallbladder with other cholecystitis without obstruction	Indicates gallstone-related inflammation where gallbladder exploration or stone removal may be performed.
`K80.20`	Calculus of gallbladder without cholecystitis	May be relevant when stones are incidentally found and removed during exploration.
`K81.0`	Acute cholecystitis	Primary diagnosis prompting incision and drainage for infected or perforated gallbladder.
`K83.1`	Obstruction of bile duct	Relevant when stones or sludge obstruct biliary flow, requiring exploration and stone extraction.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`47562`	Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; with cholangiography	May be performed before or after gallbladder incision when definitive removal is completed laparoscopically; cholangiography can identify retained stones.
`47563`	Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; with exploration of common bile duct	Performed when stones are found in the common bile duct and exploration is required in addition to gallbladder incision/drainage.
`47579`	Laparoscopic procedure, cholecystostomy (tube placement)	Alternative or adjunctive drainage procedure when percutaneous or laparoscopic cholecystostomy is required for decompression.
`49440`	Insertion of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage catheter	Performed when percutaneous biliary drainage is necessary instead of or prior to surgical exploration for obstructing stones or cholangitis.
`43264`	Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, with sphincterotomy and/or stone extraction	Endoscopic procedure commonly performed preoperatively or intra/postoperatively to remove common bile duct stones encountered during `CPT 47480`.

CPT 47400: Hepatic Duct Incision for Exploration, Stone Removal, or Drainage

CPT-47420-COMMON-BILE-DUCT-EXPLORATION-AND-REMOVAL

CPT 47420: Common Bile Duct Exploration and Drainage

CPT-47425-COMMON-BILE-DUCT-EXPLORATION-AND-SPHINCTEROTOMY

CPT 47425: Common Bile Duct Exploration and Sphincterotomy

CPT-47460-SPHINCTER-OF-ODDI-INCISION-FOR-DUCT-DRAINAGE

CPT 47460: Incision of Sphincter of Oddi to Improve Duct Drainage

Frequently Asked Questions

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 tables and provider taxonomies below present the most clinically relevant selections for this procedure.

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`22`	Increased procedural services	Use when the work or time required is substantially greater than typical for `CPT 47480` and documentation supports complexity.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the procedure is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned (e.g., limited incision/drainage).
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but terminated for patient-related or unforeseen clinical reasons.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a separate and distinct procedure when other separate biliary procedures are performed the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use when two surgeons operate together as primary surgeons for a complex biliary case.
`78`	Unplanned return to OR (related)	Use when the patient returns to the operating room for a related procedure during the global period.
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service during global period	Use when an unrelated procedure is performed during the global period (not commonly used for this code but included when applicable).
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the same procedure on the same day (note: not in raw list; excluded per provided list).
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when multiple procedures are performed during the same operative session to indicate multiple-procedure editing (physical resource sharing).
`23`	Unusual anesthesia	Use when general anesthesia is not used and the procedure is performed under local/other anesthesia that is considered unusual for the procedure.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207L00000X	General Surgery	General surgeons commonly perform gallbladder incisions for exploration, drainage, and stone removal.
207P00000X	Vascular Surgery	Vascular surgeons may be involved in complex reoperations or when vascular control is needed, though uncommon.
208500000X	Gastroenterology	Gastroenterologists perform endoscopic biliary procedures; may collaborate for intraoperative cholangiography or ERCP planning.
364S00000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians perform initial stabilization and may perform bedside gallbladder drainage in unstable patients prior to operative management.
207K00000X	Colon and Rectal Surgery	Occasionally involved in complex abdominal operations that include biliary exploration as part of multi-quadrant surgery.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`K80.00`	Calculus of gallbladder with acute cholecystitis without obstruction	Common indication when an impacted gallstone causes acute inflammation and incision/drainage is needed.
`K80.10`	Calculus of gallbladder with other cholecystitis without obstruction	Indicates gallstone-related inflammation where gallbladder exploration or stone removal may be performed.
`K80.20`	Calculus of gallbladder without cholecystitis	May be relevant when stones are incidentally found and removed during exploration.
`K81.0`	Acute cholecystitis	Primary diagnosis prompting incision and drainage for infected or perforated gallbladder.
`K83.1`	Obstruction of bile duct	Relevant when stones or sludge obstruct biliary flow, requiring exploration and stone extraction.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`47562`	Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; with cholangiography	May be performed before or after gallbladder incision when definitive removal is completed laparoscopically; cholangiography can identify retained stones.
`47563`	Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; with exploration of common bile duct	Performed when stones are found in the common bile duct and exploration is required in addition to gallbladder incision/drainage.
`47579`	Laparoscopic procedure, cholecystostomy (tube placement)	Alternative or adjunctive drainage procedure when percutaneous or laparoscopic cholecystostomy is required for decompression.
`49440`	Insertion of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage catheter	Performed when percutaneous biliary drainage is necessary instead of or prior to surgical exploration for obstructing stones or cholangitis.
`43264`	Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, with sphincterotomy and/or stone extraction	Endoscopic procedure commonly performed preoperatively or intra/postoperatively to remove common bile duct stones encountered during `CPT 47480`.

CPT 47400: Hepatic Duct Incision for Exploration, Stone Removal, or Drainage

CPT-47420-COMMON-BILE-DUCT-EXPLORATION-AND-REMOVAL

CPT 47420: Common Bile Duct Exploration and Drainage

CPT-47425-COMMON-BILE-DUCT-EXPLORATION-AND-SPHINCTEROTOMY

CPT 47425: Common Bile Duct Exploration and Sphincterotomy

CPT-47460-SPHINCTER-OF-ODDI-INCISION-FOR-DUCT-DRAINAGE

CPT 47460: Incision of Sphincter of Oddi to Improve Duct Drainage

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

OpenPayer

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

Catch payer policy changes before they impact reimbursement

OpenPayer

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

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

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

CPT 47480: Gallbladder Incision for Stone Removal or Drainage

Sign up for cpt 47480 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT 47480 represent and when is it typically performed?

Which ICD‑10 diagnoses commonly justify billing CPT 47480?

Which procedure modifiers are most relevant to use with CPT 47480?

What other procedures are commonly performed in relation to CPT 47480?

Which payers are included in the analysis and are reimbursement rates provided?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What does CPT 47480 represent and when is it typically performed?

Which ICD‑10 diagnoses commonly justify billing CPT 47480?

Which procedure modifiers are most relevant to use with CPT 47480?

What other procedures are commonly performed in relation to CPT 47480?

Which payers are included in the analysis and are reimbursement rates provided?

References