CPT code 55815 designates a perineal prostatectomy with removal of regional lymph nodes for treatment of prostate cancer. This surgical oncology code captures a definitive, invasive procedure used to remove the prostate gland via a perineal approach and to obtain nodal tissue for staging and margin assessment. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects surgical case counts, quality measurement, cancer staging capture, and hospital inpatient billing for urologic oncology services.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. The content reviews reimbursement benchmarks, billing and coding considerations, and the clinical context in which 55815 is reported. Readers will find an overview of typical sites of service and service type, discussions of common billing modifiers and practice patterns, and context on how the code interacts with inpatient surgical workflows and pathology submission for nodal analysis.

This summary provides clinicians, coders, and payer contracting analysts with a concise reference to the clinical intent of the code, the procedural elements that support its assignment, and the topics typically relevant when assessing coverage, claims submission, and quality reporting for perineal prostatectomy with lymph node dissection.