CPT code 51860: Bladder repair, simple wound suture2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 51860 in California.

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

What 51860 covers

CPT 51860 describes a straightforward surgical suture repair of a bladder wound. It may be performed by a urologist or by the surgeon who identifies a bladder injury during an operation, including pelvic or abdominal surgery. The service is generally provided in an operating room; the operative report should identify the wound and describe the repair performed. This code is for a simple repair, not a more involved bladder-wound repair or closure of a planned cystostomy opening.

Select the code based on the documented nature and complexity of the repair; use 51865 when the repair meets the complicated level. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this repair. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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 51860 pays more and less in California

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

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 51860 rate is calculated

Each of 51860’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 51860

51860 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

51860 compared with similar codes

How to choose

51865Bladder wound repairComplicated repair

51860 is for a simple bladder-wound suture repair; 51865 is for a complicated repair. Let the documented repair and operative findings support the level.

51880Cystostomy closureExisting urinary opening

51880 describes closing a cystostomy opening. Use 51860 for a bladder wound, such as an injury repaired with sutures.

51820Outlet reconstructionComplicated plastic repair

51820 is for vesicovaginal fistula repair. A bladder wound injury repaired with sutures is the situation addressed by 51860.

Codes related to 51860

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates