Billing code 44605: Colon repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports operative suture repair of multiple perforations in the large intestine, such as traumatic or ulcer-related defects, when bowel is repaired rather than resected.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44605 in Nevada.
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 9 sections
What 44605 covers
This service captures operative closure by suture of more than one perforation in the colon, including defects from injury, rupture, ulcer, or diverticular disease. A surgeon typically performs the repair during an abdominal operation for trauma, contamination, or an acute perforation. This is a repair service: when damaged or diseased bowel is removed instead of closed, a resection service better represents the work.
Report 44605 when the operative report supports multiple colon perforations and their suture repair. It differs from 44604, which represents one perforation, and from small-intestine repair codes. Document the bowel segment, number and cause or location of defects, and repair performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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.
44605 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $1,186.03 |
How the 44605 rate is calculated
Each of 44605’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 · 44605
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.53Practice expense 9.18Malpractice 5.75
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44605
44605 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 44605
Colon repair
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 44605
Colon 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44605 without 51 · national facility
$1,217.80
Colon repair
44605-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$608.90
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%).
44605 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
44605 vs 44604 vs 44603 vs 44620: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 44604Colon repair
- Both codes address suture repair of large-intestine perforations. Choose 44604 for one perforation and 44605 for multiple perforations.
- 44603Small bowel suture
- Both codes address multiple perforations, but 44603 is for the small intestine and 44605 is for the large intestine.
- 44620Stoma closure
- 44620 concerns closure of an enterostomy; 44605 is for suture repair of multiple perforations in the large intestine.
44605 billing questions
When should 44605 be chosen over 44604?
Use 44605 for suture repair of multiple perforations in the large intestine. Use 44604 when the repair is for a single perforation.
How does 44605 differ from 44603?
Both describe repair of multiple perforations, but 44605 is for the large intestine and 44603 is for the small intestine.
What documentation supports 44605?
Document that the repaired bowel was large intestine, that multiple perforations were present, and that the surgeon closed them by suture. Include the defects’ locations and cause when available in the operative report.
Can modifier 50 be appended?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor or anatomy.
How does CMS handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with other procedures subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. The code has a 90-day global period; assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 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
Fee sheets
Put 44605 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →