ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) code group DW11 includes procedures performed to deliver brachytherapy to anatomical regions in the head and neck. These ICD-10-PCS codes are used for inpatient documentation when radioactive sources are placed unidirectionally to treat tumors or lesions in head and neck structures. Accurate coding within the ICD-10-PCS DW11 group is essential for proper inpatient reimbursement, as it captures the specific procedure performed and supports clinical documentation accuracy.

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Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Procedures in this group involve placement of radioactive sources to deliver localized radiation to anatomical regions of the head and neck. These brachytherapy procedures target structures within the anatomical regions body system and are used to treat malignancies or other conditions requiring focused radiotherapy. Accurate ICD-10-PCS coding of these inpatient brachytherapy procedures is important for clinical documentation and appropriate reimbursement.

Code Attributes

Character	ICD-10-PCS Category	Code Group Details
D	Section	Radiation Therapy
W	Body System	Anatomical Regions
1	Operation	Brachytherapy
1	Body Part	Head and Neck

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ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

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Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

Character	ICD-10-PCS Category	Code Group Details
D	Section	Radiation Therapy
W	Body System	Anatomical Regions
1	Operation	Brachytherapy
1	Body Part	Head and Neck

When to Use

Use a code from this group when a patient receives inpatient brachytherapy with placement of unidirectional radioactive sources directed at head and neck anatomical regions. These codes apply when documentation supports the brachytherapy delivery method, the anatomical target, and the inpatient setting.

ICD-10-PCS Codes

14 rows

ICD-10-PCS Code	Description
DW1197Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 137 (Cs-137)
DW1198Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iridium 192 (Ir-192)
DW1199Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iodine 125 (I-125)
DW119BZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Palladium 103 (Pd-103)
DW119CZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Californium 252 (Cf-252)
DW119YZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Other Isotope
DW11B6Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 131 (Cs-131)
DW11B7Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 137 (Cs-137)
DW11B8Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iridium 192 (Ir-192)
DW11B9Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iodine 125 (I-125)

Showing 1–10 of 14

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A patient with a newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue that is bulky and involves adjacent oropharyngeal tissues is admitted for planned inpatient radiation oncology treatment to deliver localized high-dose radiation directly to the tumor bed after limited surgical debulking; unidirectional brachytherapy seeds or temporary applicators are placed in the head and neck anatomical region to concentrate dose while sparing surrounding critical structures. Typical codes: DW1198Z, DW1199Z
An elderly patient with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma previously treated with external beam radiation presents for salvage therapy; because re-irradiation with external beam would exceed normal tissue tolerances, low-dose-rate unidirectional radioactive sources are implanted to provide focal, continuous radiation to the involved anatomical region of the head and neck during an inpatient admission for procedure and postprocedure monitoring. Typical codes: DW11B9Z, DW11BBZ
A patient develops a postprocedural tumor bed recurrence after transoral robotic resection of a parapharyngeal mass and requires inpatient placement of temporary high-dose-rate unidirectional brachytherapy applicators for fractionated treatments under anesthesia to manage residual microscopic disease while minimizing exposure to adjacent cranial nerves and salivary glands. Typical codes: DW1197Z, DW119CZ

ICD-10-PCS Code For Cranial Cavity: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW12-CHEST-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Chest: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW13-ABDOMEN-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Abdomen: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW16-PELVIC-REGION-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Pelvic Region: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1K-UPPER-BACK-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Back: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1L-LOWER-BACK-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Back: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1P-GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Gastrointestinal Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1Q-RESPIRATORY-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Respiratory Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1R-GENITOURINARY-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY-GENITOURINARY-TRACT

ICD-10-PCS Code For Genitourinary Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1X-UPPER-EXTREMITY-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Extremity: Procedure Code Group Overview

Showing 1–10 of 11

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

14 rows

ICD-10-PCS Code	Description
DW1197Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 137 (Cs-137)
DW1198Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iridium 192 (Ir-192)
DW1199Z	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iodine 125 (I-125)
DW119BZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Palladium 103 (Pd-103)
DW119CZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Californium 252 (Cf-252)
DW119YZ	High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Other Isotope
DW11B6Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 131 (Cs-131)
DW11B7Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Cesium 137 (Cs-137)
DW11B8Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iridium 192 (Ir-192)
DW11B9Z	Low Dose Rate (LDR) Brachytherapy of Head and Neck using Iodine 125 (I-125)

Showing 1–10 of 14

Typical Clinical Scenarios

A patient with a newly diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue that is bulky and involves adjacent oropharyngeal tissues is admitted for planned inpatient radiation oncology treatment to deliver localized high-dose radiation directly to the tumor bed after limited surgical debulking; unidirectional brachytherapy seeds or temporary applicators are placed in the head and neck anatomical region to concentrate dose while sparing surrounding critical structures. Typical codes: DW1198Z, DW1199Z
An elderly patient with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma previously treated with external beam radiation presents for salvage therapy; because re-irradiation with external beam would exceed normal tissue tolerances, low-dose-rate unidirectional radioactive sources are implanted to provide focal, continuous radiation to the involved anatomical region of the head and neck during an inpatient admission for procedure and postprocedure monitoring. Typical codes: DW11B9Z, DW11BBZ
A patient develops a postprocedural tumor bed recurrence after transoral robotic resection of a parapharyngeal mass and requires inpatient placement of temporary high-dose-rate unidirectional brachytherapy applicators for fractionated treatments under anesthesia to manage residual microscopic disease while minimizing exposure to adjacent cranial nerves and salivary glands. Typical codes: DW1197Z, DW119CZ

ICD-10-PCS Code For Cranial Cavity: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW12-CHEST-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Chest: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW13-ABDOMEN-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Abdomen: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW16-PELVIC-REGION-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Pelvic Region: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1K-UPPER-BACK-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Back: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1L-LOWER-BACK-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Lower Back: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1P-GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Gastrointestinal Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1Q-RESPIRATORY-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Respiratory Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1R-GENITOURINARY-TRACT-BRACHYTHERAPY-GENITOURINARY-TRACT

ICD-10-PCS Code For Genitourinary Tract: Procedure Code Group Overview

DW1X-UPPER-EXTREMITY-BRACHYTHERAPY

ICD-10-PCS Code For Upper Extremity: Procedure Code Group Overview

Showing 1–10 of 11

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

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Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

OpenPayer

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview policy alerts

Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

References

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

References

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview policy alerts

Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview

Sign up for ICD-10-PCS Code For Head And Neck: Procedure Code Group Overview policy alerts

Head And Neck Brachytherapy Procedure Overview

Code Attributes

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which procedures are included in the DW11 ICD-10-PCS code group?

What section, body system, and operation attributes define the DW11 code group?

How do the codes in DW11 distinguish between high dose rate and low dose rate brachytherapy?

Which isotopes are listed for use in DW11 head and neck brachytherapy codes?

Why is accurate coding within the DW11 group important for inpatient care?

References

When to Use

ICD-10-PCS Codes

Typical Clinical Scenarios

Related Codes

Which procedures are included in the DW11 ICD-10-PCS code group?

What section, body system, and operation attributes define the DW11 code group?

How do the codes in DW11 distinguish between high dose rate and low dose rate brachytherapy?

Which isotopes are listed for use in DW11 head and neck brachytherapy codes?

Why is accurate coding within the DW11 group important for inpatient care?

References