Summary & Overview
CPT 59414: Removal of Placenta/Afterbirth by Non-Delivering Provider
CPT code 59414 identifies a procedure for removal of the placenta and membranes when the delivery was performed by a different clinician. This code captures a discrete postpartum surgical service that may be performed in hospital or ambulatory surgical settings and has implications for billing, quality measurement, and maternal care pathways nationally. Payers commonly involved in coverage and reimbursement decisions include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical service represented by 59414, typical sites of service, and the relevance to maternal health workflows. The publication covers payment and coding benchmarks, common modifier usage and billing considerations, and the clinical context that informs appropriate use. It also highlights policy and payer-specific guidance where available. This resource is intended to help coding professionals, billing managers, and health policy analysts understand how CPT code 59414 fits into postpartum surgical care, documentation requirements, and payer interactions at a national level.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 59414 describes a procedure in which a provider who did not perform the delivery manually removes the afterbirth. This service is postpartum uterine evacuation of the placenta and membranes when the delivery was performed by another provider.
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Service type: Surgical removal of placenta/afterbirth performed by a provider other than the delivering clinician
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Typical site of service: Hospital or ambulatory surgical setting (including labor and delivery units and operating rooms)
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a term or near-term obstetric patient who has delivered vaginally with active third-stage labor but the placenta has not been expelled spontaneously. The delivering physician or certified nurse-midwife performs manual removal of the placenta when the placenta fails to separate, there is retained placenta with ongoing bleeding, or there is excessive postpartum hemorrhage despite uterotonic therapy. The workflow begins with determination of failed placental delivery after controlled cord traction and uterine massage; the patient is consented for manual removal, positioned in the delivery suite or operating room depending on bleeding and patient stability, given appropriate analgesia or regional anesthesia if indicated, and aseptic manual extraction of the placenta is performed. Post-procedure monitoring includes assessment of uterine tone, inspection of the placenta for completeness, uterine curettage if retained fragments are suspected, management of hemorrhage as needed, and documentation of indication, anesthesia, findings, and any complications.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier — standard reporting | Use when no special modifier applies to the service. |
22 |