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CPT code 15733: Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports transfer of a muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap to reconstruct a head or neck defect while retaining its named vascular pedicle.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $908.17 for 15733 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 15733

Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
15.29
Total RVUs
27.19
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$908.17

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 15733 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 15733 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 15733 covers

This code covers reconstruction with a muscle, skin-and-muscle, or fascia-and-skin flap moved to a head or neck defect while remaining attached to its named blood supply. Examples include buccinator, facial artery musculomucosal, and submental flaps. Plastic surgeons and head-and-neck surgeons may use these flaps to restore tissue after tumor removal, trauma, or other defects, commonly in an operating room.

Choose the code when the operative report supports the flap’s tissue type, head-and-neck location, and named vascular pedicle; distinguish it from a free flap that requires microvascular transfer. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 15733 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

15733 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$831.86
AlaskaUnavailable$1,145.06
ArizonaUnavailable$886.11
ArkansasUnavailable$822.48
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$932.00
Austin, TXUnavailable$917.42
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$914.06
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$959.49
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$874.04
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$890.50

15733 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
15733 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 15733 rate is calculated

Each of 15733’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 15733

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work15.29

15.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.32

9.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.58

2.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

27.1900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$908.17

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 15733

15733 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 15733

Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.71/0.19Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 15733

Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

15733 without 51 · national facility

$908.17

Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle

15733-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$454.09

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

15733 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

15733 vs 15730 vs 15756: Medicare rates

Office or facility?

  • 15733

    Pedicled flap, head and neck, named pedicle15.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 15730

    Midface flap, vascular pedicle preserved13.16 wRVU

    $1,440.58

  • 15756

    Free tissue flap, muscle or myocutaneous36.02 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

15730Midface flapVascular pedicle preserved
15730 describes a midface flap with preservation of its vascular pedicle; 15733 identifies a muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneous flap with a named pedicle.
15756Free tissue flapMuscle or myocutaneous
Use 15756 for a free muscle or muscle-skin flap transferred with microvascular technique, rather than a flap retained on its named pedicle.

Codes related to 15733

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 15733
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
15730Midface flap, vascular pedicle preservedMidface flap option distinguished by its preserved vascular pedicle.$1,282.32–$1,886.30
15731Forehead flap, vascular pedicleForehead flap with vascular pedicle for a different head-and-neck flap type.$1,027.85–$1,435.65
15756Free tissue flap, muscle or myocutaneousFree muscle or muscle-skin flap transferred with microvascular technique.No office rate
Same family
15734Trunk flap, muscle, skin, or fascia flapMuscle or muscle-skin flap code for the trunk rather than the head and neck.No office rate
15736Flap reconstruction, upper extremityMuscle or muscle-skin flap code for the arm.No office rate
15738Lower-extremity flap, muscle, myocutaneous, or fasciocutaneousMuscle or muscle-skin flap code for the leg.No office rate

15733 billing questions

How does this differ from a free flap?

This flap remains attached to its named vascular pedicle during transfer. A free flap is detached and transferred using microvascular anastomosis.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the flap’s tissue composition, head-or-neck recipient site, named vascular pedicle, and transfer into the defect.

Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor or anatomy.

Is related postoperative care separately reported during the global period?

The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care, as well as the day-before preoperative visit.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 15733PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 1,531 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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