Summary & Overview
CPT 64782: Excision of Peripheral Nerve Tumor, Hand or Foot
CPT code 64782 represents excision of a tumor or mass arising from a peripheral nerve in the hand or foot, typically performed to relieve pain and restore nerve function lost to neuroma formation after injury or trauma. Nationally, this code is important for specialty surgical practices (hand surgery, peripheral nerve specialists) and payers managing post-injury functional restoration and pain care. Coverage and payment policies affect access to timely surgical management for patients with symptomatic neuromas.
Key payers included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, typical sites of service, common modifier usage (listed separately), and what to expect in payer policy approaches. The publication summarizes benchmark considerations, coding nuances, and the clinical rationale for the procedure, enabling clinicians, coding professionals, and policy analysts to understand how CPT code 64782 is used in practice and considered by major payers.
Where detailed data elements are not provided in the input, the publication notes that specific items (for example, associated taxonomies or ICD-10 pairings) are not available in the input.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 64782 describes surgical removal of a tumor or mass located on a peripheral nerve of the hand or foot. The procedure targets neuromas or other focal nerve masses that cause pain or loss of nerve function, with the clinical aim of relieving pain and restoring nerve function impaired by injury or trauma.
-
Service type: Surgical excision of peripheral nerve tumor
-
Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center or inpatient/outpatient hospital setting for hand or foot procedures
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 45-year-old manual laborer presents with focal, burning pain and numbness along the distribution of a digital nerve after a laceration to the hand six months prior. Conservative measures including NSAIDs, activity modification, and a corticosteroid injection provided limited relief. Examination reveals a small, tender, palpable mass at the volar aspect of the affected finger with positive Tinel sign and diminished two-point discrimination. Preoperative imaging (ultrasound) identifies a neuroma on a peripheral digital nerve. The surgeon schedules an operative excision of the neuroma under regional block. Intraoperatively, the neuroma is identified, microsurgically excised with careful nerve handling, and the nerve end is managed with neuroma prevention techniques. The patient is discharged same day with wound care instructions and a plan for hand therapy and follow-up to assess pain relief and sensory recovery.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | Use when billing only the physician’s professional service separate from technical services (rare for this surgical procedure unless facility bills separately). |
50 | Bilateral procedure |