Excision is used when a sharp instrument is used to cut out or off a portion of a body part without replacement. All root operations employing cutting to accomplish the objective allow the use of any sharp instrument, including but not limited to:
- Scalpel
- Wire
- Scissors
- Bone saw
- Electrocautery tip
Examples of excision are partial nephrectomy, liver biopsy, breast lumpectomy, excision of cyst, sigmoid polypectomy, or excision of melanoma.
Bone marrow and endometrial biopsies are not coded to excision. Instead they are coded to the root operation extraction, with the qualifier diagnostic used to identify the biopsy.
If a diagnostic excision (biopsy) is followed by a therapeutic excision at the same procedure site or resection of the body part during the same operative episode, only the therapeutic excision or resection is coded (e.g., for a breast biopsy followed by partial mastectomy at the same procedure site, only the partial mastectomy procedure is coded).