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CPT code 54164: Frenulotomy, penile frenulum2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical release of a short or tethered penile frenulum, typically performed to relieve restricted movement or discomfort.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities61 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $185.37 for 54164 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 54164

Frenulotomy, penile frenulum

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
2.75
Total RVUs
5.55
Global days
010

National rate · 2026

$185.37

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 54164 →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 54164 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 54164 covers

A penile frenulotomy releases a tight band of tissue connecting the underside of the glans to the foreskin. Urologists commonly perform it for a short or tethered frenulum that restricts foreskin movement or causes discomfort, including during erection. The service may be performed in an operating room or another appropriate procedural setting; document the frenular finding and the release performed.

Report 54164 for the frenular release itself, not for circumcision or lysis of penile adhesions. The operative note should identify the frenulum as the treated structure and describe the incision or release. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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 54164 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

54164 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$169.97
AlaskaUnavailable$231.20
ArizonaUnavailable$181.12
ArkansasUnavailable$168.05
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$189.37
Austin, TXUnavailable$188.91
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$190.24
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$195.64
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$177.19
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$182.73

54164 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
54164 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 54164 rate is calculated

Each of 54164’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 · 54164

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work2.75

2.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense2.44

2.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.36

0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.5500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$185.37

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 54164

54164 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 54164

Frenulotomy, penile frenulum

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period010Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 54164

Frenulotomy, penile frenulum

10-day global period ends

Oct 11, 2026

Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.

SurgeryVisit
Sep 28, 2026Oct 14, 2026

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

54164 without 51 · national facility

$185.37

Frenulotomy, penile frenulum

54164-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$92.69

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

54164 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 54164

    Frenulotomy, penile frenulum2.75 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 54162

    Penile adhesion lysis, post-circumcision adhesions3.24 wRVU

    $264.20

  • 54160

    Circumcision, neonate, surgical excision2.47 wRVU

    $228.46

  • 54161

    Circumcision, age 28 days or older3.24 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

54162Penile adhesion lysisPost-circumcision adhesions
Use 54164 for release of the penile frenulum. Use 54162 for lysis of penile adhesions.
54160CircumcisionNeonate, surgical excision
54160 reports circumcision in a neonate; 54164 reports release of the penile frenulum, not removal of the foreskin.
54161CircumcisionAge 28 days or older
54161 reports circumcision at age 28 days or older. Choose 54164 when the service is frenular release rather than circumcision.

Codes related to 54164

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

Codes related to 54164
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
54150Circumcision, device with regional blockMay accompany circumcision when a distinct frenular release is also performed and documented.$136.50–$191.37
54160Circumcision, neonate, surgical excisionMay accompany neonatal circumcision when a distinct frenular release is also performed and documented.$204.09–$292.07
54161Circumcision, age 28 days or olderMay accompany circumcision at age 28 days or older when a distinct frenular release is also performed and documented.No office rate

54164 billing questions

How is 54164 different from lysis of penile adhesions?

54164 releases the penile frenulum, the tissue band beneath the glans. Code 54162 describes lysis of penile adhesions, a different anatomic problem.

Can 54164 be reported with a circumcision code?

A separate frenular release may be performed during the same session as circumcision. Document the distinct frenular problem and work; do not treat the circumcision itself as the frenulotomy.

What documentation supports 54164?

Document the short or tethered frenulum, the clinical reason for release, and the specific release performed. The record should distinguish this work from circumcision or treatment of adhesions.

Does 54164 have a postoperative global period?

Yes. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during those 10 days.

Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery modifier be used?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 54164.

How does Medicare handle 54164 with another procedure in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for 54164.

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 54164PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,259 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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