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Billing code 44850: Mesentery repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative repair of a mesenteric defect or injury, such as a tear requiring surgical restoration during abdominal surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities111 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $709.44 for 44850 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 44850

Mesentery repair

Work RVUs
11.81
Total RVUs
21.24
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$709.44

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 44850 →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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 44850 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 44850 covers

billing code 44850 represents surgical repair of the mesentery, the tissue fold that supports the intestines and carries their blood vessels. A surgeon, commonly a general surgeon, may repair a mesenteric tear or defect encountered during abdominal surgery. The work is typically performed in an operating room, often in a hospital or other facility setting.

Select this code when the operative work includes repair of the mesentery, rather than removal of a mesenteric lesion or a bowel pouch. The operative report should identify the mesenteric site and injury or defect, describe the repair performed, and distinguish it from any associated bowel procedure. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of 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. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.

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 44850 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

44850 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$640.03
Alaska*Unavailable$877.18
ArizonaUnavailable$688.69
ArkansasUnavailable$631.59
AtlantaUnavailable$733.64
AustinUnavailable$711.77
BakersfieldUnavailable$699.83
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$754.68
BeaumontUnavailable$682.93
BrazoriaUnavailable$689.25

44850 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
44850 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 44850 rate is calculated

Each of 44850’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 · 44850

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work11.81

11.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.52

6.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.91

2.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

21.2400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$709.44

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 44850

44850 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 44850

Mesentery repair

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)0.09/0.81/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 44850

Mesentery repair

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

44850 without 51 · national facility

$709.44

Mesentery repair

44850-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$354.72

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

44850 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 44850

    Mesentery repair11.81 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44820

    Mesenteric excision13.39 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44800

    Diverticulum excision11.75 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44120

    Small-bowel resection20.3 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

44820Mesenteric excision
Choose 44820 when the mesenteric work is excision of a lesion. Choose 44850 when the surgeon repairs a mesenteric defect or injury.
44800Diverticulum excision
44800 describes excision of a bowel pouch; 44850 describes repair of the mesentery, not removal of a pouch.
44120Small-bowel resection
44120 describes small-intestine resection with anastomosis. It does not represent repair of a mesenteric defect, though both procedures may be performed in one operation.

Codes related to 44850

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

Codes related to 44850
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
44820Mesenteric excisionFor excision of a mesenteric lesion rather than repair of a defect or injury.No office rate
Often billed with
44120Small-bowel resectionMay be reported for a separately performed small-intestine resection accompanying mesenteric repair.No office rate
44140Partial colectomyMay accompany repair when an associated colonic injury requires a separately documented partial colectomy.No office rate

44850 billing questions

How is mesentery repair distinguished from mesenteric lesion excision?

Use 44850 for operative repair of a mesenteric defect or injury. Code 44820 describes excision of a mesenteric lesion, not repair.

What documentation supports 44850?

The operative report should identify the mesenteric injury or defect and describe the repair. It should also distinguish that work from any bowel resection or other procedure performed.

Does 44850 have a global period?

Yes. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

Should modifier 50 be used for a repair on both sides?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code, and a bilateral adjustment is not made.

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 44850PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,451 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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