Excision Integumentary CPT Coding Guideline

Post Last Updated on 21 Feb 2026

What is Excision in Integumentary System ?

Excision means surgical removal of tissue from the body using instrument like Scalpel, scissors or other medical instrument.

For Integumentary system, Excision is the full thickness removal of lesion, including the margins and include simple layer closure.

What are the medical necessity of Skin Excision Surgery?

• BenignTumor (Neoplasm, Cicatricial, Fibrous, Inflammatory Lesio, Cystic Lesion)

• Malignant Lesion (Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma, Melanoma)

• Other Skin lesion

• Tumor

  
  

Integumentary Excision Guidelines for Medical Coder

CPT code range for Excision

11400-11446 : Excision of benign lesion

11600-11646 : Excision of benign lesion

CPT Code selection Criteria for Excision procedure

1. The code selection is based on the nature of the lesion, either it is benign or malignant.

2. Code selection is determined by measuring the greatest clinical diameter of lesion plus the margin, that is required for complete excision.

3. The code selection based on anatomical group of CPT for excised lesion.

Coding guideline for Excision in Integumentary system

1. Report each lesion seperately which is excised.

2. Simple repair is inclusive, intermediate or complex repair should be coded seperately.

3. If excision performed in conjunction with Adjacent tissue trasnfer, then need to report only adjacent tissue transfer CPT (14000-14302)

4. The margins refer to the most narrow margin required to adequately excise the lesion.

5. When frozen section pathology show the margin of excision was not adequate, an additional excision may be necessary to remove the lesion. Use only one code to report the addional excisin or rexcision based on final diamter that is required to completely removed the lesion.

6. If re-excision is performed for the same lesion within postoperative period of the primary procedure then use 58 modifier.

Notes: If in path the nature of lesion excised in uncertain behaviour, the select the excision code from benign lesion.

Scenario Question

A surgeon excises a lesion from the patient’s right forearm.

• The lesion measures 1.8 cm in diameter.

• The surgeon takes 0.5 cm margins on each side.

• The excision is full thickness through the dermis.

• The wound is closed with simple sutures.

In Path , the lesion is malignant.

What is the correct CPT code?

Answer : Below are the steps to get correct CPT code for Excision.

• First you need to identify the lesion, whether benign or malignant. So in our case it is malignant.

• You need the maximum diameter that is excised along with margin, So in our case 1.8+0.5+0.5 = 2.8.

• Next you have to check the nature of closure, since in our case it is simple repair , so no need to report seperately.

So, the correct code will be

CPT 11603 :Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, or legs; excised diameter 2.1 to 3.0 cm