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CPT code 35840: Abdominal exploration2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Report abdominal re-exploration for suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection when the surgeon returns to assess the operative site.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,123.27 for 35840 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 35840

Abdominal exploration

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
20.23
Total RVUs
33.63
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,123.27

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 35840 →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 35840 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 35840 covers

This code describes a return to the abdomen to investigate a suspected complication after surgery, such as postoperative bleeding, a clot, or infection. A general or vascular surgeon typically performs the exploration in an operating room, often when the patient’s condition or findings prompt concern about the prior operative site. It is distinct from opening the abdomen for a planned initial exploration or for a separate diagnostic purpose.

Report the service when the operative note supports the postoperative concern and documents the abdominal exploration performed and its findings. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this abdominal service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and a team-surgery arrangement 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 35840 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

35840 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,015.51
AlaskaUnavailable$1,404.03
ArizonaUnavailable$1,090.45
ArkansasUnavailable$1,002.49
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,163.48
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,121.74
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,097.42
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,194.25
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,086.18
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,089.27

35840 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
35840 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 35840 rate is calculated

Each of 35840’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 · 35840

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work20.23

20.23 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.38

8.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice5.02

5.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

33.6300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,123.27

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 35840

35840 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 35840

Abdominal exploration

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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 35840

Abdominal exploration

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

35840 without 51 · national facility

$1,123.27

Abdominal exploration

35840-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$561.64

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

35840 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 35840

    Abdominal exploration20.23 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 49000

    Abdominal exploration12.23 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 35820

    Chest exploration35.97 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 35860

    Artery exploration14.87 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

49000Abdominal exploration
Choose 35840 for abdominal re-exploration prompted by suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection. Code 49000 represents exploratory laparotomy for another indication.
35820Chest exploration
Both describe exploration for a postoperative complication, but 35820 is for the chest; 35840 is for the abdomen.
35860Artery exploration
Both describe exploration for a postoperative complication, but 35860 is for a limb; 35840 is for the abdomen.

Codes related to 35840

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

Codes related to 35840
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
35800Neck explorationExploration for a postoperative complication when the operative site is in the neck.No office rate
35820Chest explorationExploration for a postoperative complication when the operative site is in the chest.No office rate
35860Artery explorationExploration for a postoperative complication when the operative site is in a limb.No office rate
Used instead
49000Abdominal explorationExploratory laparotomy for indications other than postoperative complication re-exploration.No office rate

35840 billing questions

How does 35840 differ from 49000?

Use 35840 for abdominal re-exploration prompted by suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection. Code 49000 describes exploratory laparotomy for a different diagnostic or operative indication.

Can modifier 50 be used for 35840?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because this abdominal exploration is not a paired bilateral service.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided; team surgery is not permitted for this code.

What documentation supports reporting 35840?

Document the prior operation, the suspected postoperative complication, the reason for returning to the abdomen, and the exploration and findings recorded in the operative note.

What care is included in the global period?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

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 35840PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,417 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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