Summary & Overview
CPT 50240: Nephrectomy, Kidney Removal
CPT code 50240 denotes nephrectomy, a surgical procedure for removal of a kidney or part of a kidney. Nephrectomy is a significant operative intervention used to treat a range of renal conditions, including malignancy, severe trauma, nonfunctional kidney, and select benign disease. Nationally, nephrectomy procedures have implications for surgical capacity, perioperative quality measures, and payer reimbursement policies given their resource intensity and potential for postoperative complications.
Key payers in this coverage and policy context include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context and sites of service, standard billing considerations for CPT code 50240, and what typical analyses cover: utilization benchmarks, common modifier usage, and alignment with postoperative quality and payment policies. The publication highlights areas where policy updates or payer-specific edits may affect claim adjudication and how CPT code 50240 fits into hospital and ambulatory surgical workflows.
Data not available in the input is noted where relevant.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 50240 describes nephrectomy, a surgical procedure for removal of a kidney or part of a kidney. This procedure is classified as a surgical service involving removal of renal tissue and may be performed as a partial or complete nephrectomy depending on clinical indication.
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Service type: Surgical procedure
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old male with a 3.5 cm enhancing mass of the left kidney identified incidentally on abdominal imaging is referred for surgical management. After preoperative evaluation including labs, cross-sectional imaging, and anesthetic assessment, the urologic surgery team schedules a partial nephrectomy for tumor removal with renal parenchymal preservation. The typical workflow includes preoperative informed consent and optimization, general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation, intraoperative administration of prophylactic antibiotics, positioning and sterile preparation, surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, or robotic-assisted) to expose the kidney, tumor excision with hemostasis and renal reconstruction, possible intraoperative frozen section or drain placement, immediate postoperative recovery in PACU, pain control, monitoring of urine output and renal function, and postoperative follow-up with pathology review and outpatient visits.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
50 | Bilateral Procedure | Use when nephrectomy is performed on both kidneys during the same operative session. |
51 | Multiple Procedures | Use when additional distinct procedures are billed on the same day by the same provider alongside the nephrectomy. |