No office rate
25111 is the specific code for primary wrist ganglion excision. This code describes cyst or tumor removal or curettage from a tendon sheath or capsule in the forearm or wrist.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
25110 Lesion excision Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Removal or curettage of a cyst or tumor arising from a tendon sheath or capsule in the forearm or wrist, such as a ganglion. Compare 25110 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 25110 in Iowa?
Iowa has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$306.67
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Hand surgery
About 25110: Tendon sheath or capsule lesion excision
Removal or curettage of a cyst or tumor arising from a tendon sheath or capsule in the forearm or wrist, such as a ganglion.
This service removes or curettes a cyst or tumor arising from a tendon sheath or capsule in the forearm or wrist. A hand or orthopedic surgeon typically performs it when a defined lesion, such as a ganglion, is treated operatively. The operative target is the lesion and its sheath or capsule origin, rather than the tendon itself or the wrist joint lining.
Report the code when the operative note identifies the lesion’s location and origin and describes its removal or curettage. Distinguish a general tendon-sheath or capsule lesion from a wrist ganglion reported under the more specific ganglion codes. 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 one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, payment is at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 25110
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.94 · 39%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.39 · 53%
- Malpractice RVU0.78 · 8%
231
Medicare services in 2024 · #4196 by national volume
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.
25110 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
25112 is for a recurrent wrist ganglion. Use this code when the treated lesion and procedure are documented as a tendon-sheath or capsule cyst or tumor rather than a recurrent wrist ganglion.
No office rate
25109 concerns a lesion of the tendon itself. This code applies when the lesion arises from the tendon sheath or capsule.
No office rate
25118 describes excision of tendon sheath tissue. This code is directed at removing or curetting a cyst or tumor arising from the sheath or capsule.
Compare 25110 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$306.67
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 25110 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
2,392
- Code
- 25110
- Physician work
- 3.94
- Practice expense
- 5.39
- Malpractice
- 0.78
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 3.94 | × 1.000 | 3.9400 |
| Practice expense | 5.39 | × 0.915 | 4.9318 |
| Malpractice | 0.78 | × 0.397 | 0.3097 |
| Total RVUs | 9.1815 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Iowa$306.67
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.94 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.39 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.78 | 0.397 |
(3.94 × 1 + 5.39 × 0.915 + 0.78 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $306.67
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
25110 billing questions
Can it be reported with a wrist joint procedure?
The operative documentation should show a separately treated tendon-sheath or capsule lesion, distinct from work on the wrist joint. When procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare applies its multiple procedure payment reduction.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the forearm or wrist location, the lesion’s relationship to the tendon sheath or capsule, and the removal or curettage performed. The note should distinguish the lesion from a tendon lesion or joint-lining disorder.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
For bilateral procedures, report modifier 50; CMS payment is at 150% under the facts for this code.
Are postoperative visits separately payable?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
2,38925105,,Remove wrist joint lining,A,,5.87,6.89,NA,6.89,,1.14,13.90,13.90,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,0,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39025107,,Remove wrist joint cartilage,A,,7.51,8.64,NA,8.64,,1.45,17.60,17.60,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39125109,,Excise tendon forearm/wrist,A,,6.77,7.09,NA,7.09,,1.29,15.15,15.15,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39225110,,Remove wrist tendon lesion,A,,3.94,5.39,NA,5.39,,0.78,10.11,10.11,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39325111,,Remove wrist tendon lesion,A,,3.44,5.51,NA,5.51,,0.66,9.61,9.61,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39425112,,Reremove wrist tendon lesion,A,,4.55,5.86,NA,5.86,,0.88,11.29,11.29,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,39525115,,Remove wrist/forearm lesion,A,,9.84,9.34,NA,9.34,,1.88,21.06,21.06,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136