No office rate
Choose 35840 for abdominal re-exploration prompted by suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection. Code 49000 represents exploratory laparotomy for another indication.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
35840 Abdominal exploration Medicare reimbursement rates in New Jersey
Report abdominal re-exploration for suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection when the surgeon returns to assess the operative site. Compare 35840 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Jersey.
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 35840 in New Jersey?
New Jersey has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1192.32–$1222.03
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Surgical exploration
About 35840: Abdominal postoperative complication exploration
Report abdominal re-exploration for suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection when the surgeon returns to assess the operative site.
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.
CMS billing rules for 35840
- 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU20.23 · 60%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.38 · 25%
- Malpractice RVU5.02 · 15%
1.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2764 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.
35840 compared with similar codes
Office rates for New Jersey, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Both describe exploration for a postoperative complication, but 35820 is for the chest; 35840 is for the abdomen.
No office rate
Both describe exploration for a postoperative complication, but 35860 is for a limb; 35840 is for the abdomen.
Compare 35840 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Northern Nj →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1222.03
Rest Of New Jersey →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1192.32
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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 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.
4,4143573F,,Pt not consid poss risk fx,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,41535800,,Explore neck vessels,A,,11.70,5.76,NA,5.76,,2.34,19.80,19.80,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,41635820,,Explore chest vessels,A,,35.97,11.22,NA,11.22,,8.82,56.01,56.01,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,41735840,,Explore abdominal vessels,A,,20.23,8.38,NA,8.38,,5.02,33.63,33.63,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,41835860,,Explore limb vessels,A,,14.87,4.66,NA,4.66,,3.69,23.22,23.22,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,41935870,,Repair vessel graft defect,A,,23.89,4.00,NA,4.00,,6.11,34.00,34.00,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,42035875,,Removal of clot in graft,A,,10.45,3.03,NA,3.03,,2.64,16.12,16.12,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00