Summary & Overview
CPT 60260: Completion Thyroidectomy, Removal of Remaining Thyroid
CPT code 60260 denotes a completion thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of the remaining thyroid tissue after a prior partial thyroid operation, typically performed when malignancy is identified in the retained lobe. This code is important nationally because thyroid cancer incidence and surgical management decisions influence utilization of completion procedures and hospital and ambulatory surgery volumes. Payers commonly involved in coverage and payment for this service include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, and payer coverage patterns. The publication also presents benchmarking elements relevant to utilization and payment, summarizes applicable policy considerations for major national payers, and clarifies coding context for surgical services. Clinical readers will gain a clear description of when a completion thyroidectomy is billed under 60260; administrative and policy readers will find summaries of payer practices and high-level benchmarking information. Data not available in the input for specific payer rates, regional variation, or associated ICD-10 diagnoses is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 60260 describes a completion thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of the remaining thyroid tissue following a prior partial thyroid operation (for example, after a lobectomy) when there is evidence of malignancy or other pathology in the residual lobe. This procedure is classified as a surgical endocrine procedure.
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Service type: Surgical procedure — completion thyroidectomy
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Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center
Data not available in the input for associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 48-year-old female previously underwent a right hemithyroidectomy (lobectomy) for a thyroid nodule. Pathology from the initial surgery returns papillary thyroid carcinoma with features that indicate completion thyroidectomy is recommended to remove residual contralateral or remaining ipsilateral thyroid tissue and to facilitate radioactive iodine therapy and surveillance. The patient is evaluated in the endocrine surgery clinic, with preoperative labs (TSH, free T4, calcium), neck ultrasound, and review of prior operative and pathology reports. After informed consent, the patient is scheduled for a 60260 completion thyroidectomy in an outpatient hospital operating room under general anesthesia. Intraoperative steps include identification and preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve(s) and parathyroid glands, removal of remaining thyroid tissue, hemostasis, and placement of drain if indicated. Postoperative workflow includes admission to PACU, monitoring for airway compromise, voice assessment, serum calcium checks, pain control, discharge with endocrine follow-up, and coordination for possible radioactive iodine planning if indicated by final pathology.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when work or complexity substantially exceeds normal for 60260 due to extensive scar tissue or revision surgery. |