CPT code 57135: Vaginal lesion excision, cyst or tumor2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $243.16 for 57135 nationally in the office and $168.34 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $215.97–$307.55.

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

What 57135 covers

Code 57135 describes surgical removal of a cyst or tumor arising in the vagina, rather than a tissue sample taken only for diagnosis. A gynecologist typically performs the excision, removing the lesion from the vaginal wall and managing the resulting tissue defect. A symptomatic Gartner duct cyst or vaginal inclusion cyst is a familiar example. The procedure may take place in an office or an outpatient facility, depending on the lesion and the planned approach.

Choose this code when the documented service removes the vaginal cyst or tumor; document its site, clinical indication, extent of removal, and specimen findings when available. Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the minor-procedure global period. If other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Report the service once; modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon or team-surgery reporting 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 57135 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

57135 rates by state

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

How the 57135 rate is calculated

Each of 57135’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 57135

57135 has a 10-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

57135 compared with similar codes

How to choose

57100Vaginal biopsySimple mucosal sampling

Use 57100 for simple vaginal mucosal tissue sampling. Use 57135 when the cyst or tumor itself is removed.

57105Vaginal biopsyExtensive mucosal sampling

57105 represents extensive vaginal mucosal biopsy, not excision of the lesion. Select 57135 when the operative service removes the cyst or tumor.

57106VaginectomyPartial wall removal

57106 describes partial removal of vaginal wall tissue. 57135 is for removal of a vaginal cyst or tumor rather than a broader segment of wall.

57110VaginectomyComplete vaginal wall removal

57110 describes complete vaginal wall removal, whereas 57135 addresses excision of a vaginal cyst or tumor.

Codes related to 57135

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