Billing code 61552: Suture releaseMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,478.99 for 61552 nationally in a facility.

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

What 61552 covers

This operation treats craniosynostosis when more than one cranial suture has fused prematurely, limiting skull growth or contributing to an abnormal head shape. A neurosurgeon, often working with a craniofacial surgical team, removes or opens bone along the affected suture lines to release the restriction. It is typically performed in a hospital operating room, often for an infant or child whose skull growth is affected by the fused sutures.

Select this code when the operative report supports release of multiple cranial sutures; the documented extent of the operation distinguishes it from a single-suture release. The record should identify the sutures treated and describe the operative work. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

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 61552 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

61552 rates by state

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

How the 61552 rate is calculated

Each of 61552’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 61552

61552 has a 90-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

61552 compared with similar codes

How to choose

61550Craniosynostosis surgery

61550 applies to release of one cranial suture. Report 61552 when the operative documentation supports treatment of multiple sutures.

61556Suture surgery

61556 describes a skull or suture incision procedure. Use 61552 for the multiple-suture craniosynostosis release when that is the operation documented.

61558Craniosynostosis surgery

61558 describes a skull or suture excision procedure. Distinguish it from 61552 by the specific operation documented, rather than assuming the codes are interchangeable.

Codes related to 61552

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