Summary & Overview
HCPCS C1739: Implantable Tissue Marker Detectable by Probe
HCPCS Level II code C1739 identifies an implantable tissue marker that is uniquely detectable and identifiable with a probe or sensor and is supplied with a delivery system. These markers are used to localize soft-tissue targets—such as tumors or biopsy sites—for subsequent procedures, improving accuracy in surgical excision, radiation targeting, and follow-up imaging. Nationally, use of implantable, sensor-detectable markers has grown alongside image-guided interventions and precision oncology workflows.
Key payers examined include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a compact synthesis of clinical context for device use, typical sites of service, and the payer landscape relevant to coding and coverage. The publication summarizes common billing considerations and typical modifiers used with HCPCS device codes, notes where data were not provided, and outlines what to expect in claims processing for an implantable tissue marker with delivery system.
This overview supports billing, coding, and administrative staff, as well as clinicians and device manufacturers, by clarifying what HCPCS Level II code C1739 represents, why it matters for procedural accuracy and care coordination, and which national payers are relevant for coverage and claims workflows.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code C1739 describes an implantable tissue marker that is uniquely detectable and identifiable with a probe or sensor, supplied with a delivery system. This device is used to mark soft tissue targets for later localization, aiding procedures that require precise identification of a lesion or prior treatment site.
Service type: Implantable device placement for tissue localization
Typical site of service: Outpatient surgical suite, hospital outpatient department, or ambulatory surgery center, where image-guided or surgical placement of an implantable marker is performed.
Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is an adult with a localized breast tumor scheduled for breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) or a percutaneous biopsy requiring long-term localization for subsequent surgical resection. The implantable, uniquely detectable tissue marker (C1739) is placed percutaneously under imaging guidance (ultrasound, mammography/tomosynthesis, or MRI) by a radiologist or breast surgeon in an outpatient imaging suite or ambulatory surgical center. The marker is delivered with a sterile delivery system and remains in the tissue to allow intraoperative identification using a handheld probe or sensor and to facilitate accurate localization if the lesion is not palpable. Typical workflow: pre-procedure imaging and consent; image-guided marker deployment with documentation of laterality and depth; verification images; coding of device supply using C1739 at time of placement or at time of surgery if the device is implanted concurrently; intraoperative localization using the probe/sensor to guide excision; specimen radiography and pathology confirmation. Typical site of service: outpatient radiology suite, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital outpatient department. Typical patient scenario: a patient with a non-palpable, biopsy-proven malignant or high-risk breast lesion who had a fiducial/tissue marker implanted to mark the biopsy site for planned lumpectomy within weeks to months.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 |