Summary & Overview

CPT 55600: Incision and Drainage of Seminal Vesicle Abscess

CPT code 55600 represents the surgical incision and drainage of a seminal vesicle abscess. This procedure addresses a localized purulent collection within the seminal vesicles and is performed when drainage is required to control infection and prevent further pelvic complications. As a procedure code for a relatively uncommon but potentially serious urologic infection, 55600 matters nationally for surgical coding, hospital service-line planning, and payer coverage considerations.

Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find concise clinical context for when the procedure is used, typical settings where it is performed, and the coding context relevant to reimbursement and billing workflows. The publication provides benchmarks and payer coverage summaries, highlights common billing modifiers and coding considerations, and summarizes policy or payment updates where available. Clinical teams, coding professionals, and revenue-cycle stakeholders will gain an overview of the code's role in urologic surgical services and operational implications for hospital and outpatient surgical units.

Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, specific ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and payer-specific reimbursement rates.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCignaUnitedHealthcareMedicareCPT 55600seminal vesicle abscessurologysurgical drainageoperative procedurehospital servicescodingbillingrevenue cycle

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 55600 describes a surgical procedure in which the provider incises the seminal vesicles to drain an abscess or pocket of infection. This is a surgical drainage procedure addressing infection within the seminal vesicles.

Service type: Surgical drainage of seminal vesicle abscess (procedural operative service)
Typical site of service: Operative suite or hospital inpatient setting where surgical interventions for deep pelvic infections are performed

Data not available in the input.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A typical patient is a man aged 30–65 presenting with fever, perineal or pelvic pain, dysuria, and painful ejaculation. On examination he may have perineal tenderness and systemic signs of infection. Imaging with transrectal ultrasound or pelvic CT reveals a localized fluid collection within the seminal vesicle consistent with an abscess. Initial management includes broad-spectrum IV antibiotics and urology consultation. When the abscess fails to respond to antibiotics or is large, the urologist schedules a surgical drainage procedure under general or regional anesthesia. In the operating room or procedure suite the surgeon performs an incision and drainage of the seminal vesicle(s), typically via a transrectal, transperineal, or transvesical approach depending on abscess location and prior surgery. Intraoperative steps include localization of the abscess, incision of the seminal vesicle capsule, evacuation of purulent material, culture collection, and placement of a drain if required. Postoperative care includes continued targeted antibiotics guided by culture results, analgesia, wound/drain management, and close follow-up for resolution of infection and preservation of reproductive and urinary function.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`11`	Normal or routine preoperative and postoperative care	Use when the procedure is performed under typical circumstances without unusual delay or additional services.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
208U00000X	Urology	Urologists most commonly perform incision and drainage of seminal vesicle abscesses.
208800000X	General Surgery	General surgeons with pelvic specialization may perform drainage when urology is unavailable.
207L00000X	Obstetrics & Gynecology	Reconstructive pelvic surgeons occasionally involved when adjacent pelvic structures are implicated.
193400000X	Infectious Disease	Infectious disease specialists assist with perioperative antimicrobial management.
363L00000X	Radiology/Diagnostic Imaging	Interventional radiologists may perform percutaneous drainage as an alternative; they assist in imaging-guided localization.

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`10160`	Incision and drainage of abscess; simple or single	May be used for superficial or perineal abscesses that accompany seminal vesicle infection; less complex than seminal vesicle incision.
`52287`	Cystourethroscopy, with drainage of prostatic abscess	Performed when prostatic abscess is present or when endoscopic drainage is chosen instead of direct seminal vesicle incision.
`54050`	Circumcision, radical (for adults)	Not directly related; included when genitourinary surgery is concurrent — generally unrelated.
`76942`	Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., for drainage)	Used when transrectal ultrasound guidance assists needle aspiration or localization prior to or instead of open incision.
`49505`	Repair initial inguinal hernia, reducible	Example of an unrelated concurrent general surgery procedure that could occur in the same operative session; use `79` if unrelated.

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