CPT code 52355: Tumor resection, ureter or renal pelvis2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports endoscopic removal of a tumor in the ureter or renal collecting system using a ureteroscope or pyeloscope.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 52355 in Texas.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 52355 covers
A urologist advances an endoscope through the bladder into the ureter or renal collecting system and removes a tumor endoscopically. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room or other procedural setting. It is distinct from inspecting the upper tract or taking a limited tissue sample: the operative work includes tumor resection. The specimen is typically sent for pathologic examination.
Select this service when the operative report supports endoscopic tumor removal in the ureter or renal collecting system; document the site and resection performed. This is a minor procedure with a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 52355 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $410.68 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $400.05 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $403.16 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $406.79 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $406.50 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $405.13 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $425.81 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $402.15 |
How the 52355 rate is calculated
Each of 52355’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 · 52355
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work8.78
8.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.36
2.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.13
1.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.2700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$409.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 52355
The CMS indicators that decide how 52355 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 52355
Tumor resection, ureter or renal pelvis
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
52355 without 50 · national facility
$409.83
Tumor resection, ureter or renal pelvis
52355-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$614.75
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
52355 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 52354Upper urinary tract biopsyUreter or renal pelvis
- Choose 52354 for biopsy of an upper-tract lesion; choose 52355 when the surgeon performs endoscopic tumor resection.
- 52351UreteroscopyDiagnostic examination only
- 52351 describes diagnostic inspection of the ureter or renal collecting system. It does not represent the tumor removal reported with 52355.
- 52234Bladder tumor treatmentTumor 0.5 to 2.0 cm
- 52234 concerns endoscopic treatment of a bladder tumor. Use 52355 for a tumor resected in the ureter or renal collecting system.
- 52353Stone lithotripsyUreteroscopy or pyeloscopy
- 52353 is for ureteroscopic or pyeloscopic stone fragmentation, not tumor resection. The operative target and treatment determine which code applies.
52355 billing questions
When should this be reported instead of 52354?
Use 52355 when the surgeon removes the tumor endoscopically. Code 52354 describes ureteroscopic or pyeloscopic biopsy when tissue is sampled rather than resected.
How does this differ from 52351?
52351 is for diagnostic ureteroscopic or pyeloscopic examination. Report 52355 when the procedure includes resection of a tumor in the ureter or renal collecting system.
Does the code cover a bladder tumor resection?
No. This service is for tumor resection in the ureter or renal collecting system. A bladder tumor procedure is coded according to the bladder service performed.
What happens when related endoscopies are performed in the same session?
CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. The operative report should identify each service and the work performed.
How is a bilateral procedure handled?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
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