Billing code 52597: Prostate resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports robotic waterjet resection of prostate tissue, including imaging guidance when performed, for patients undergoing surgical treatment of prostate obstruction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 52597 in Washington.
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 52597 covers
A urologist uses ultrasound imaging to plan treatment and a robotically controlled waterjet to remove prostate tissue, typically to relieve obstruction from benign prostatic enlargement. The procedure is performed in an operating room; the surgeon directs the treatment rather than manually resecting tissue with an electrosurgical loop or laser.
Report 52597 for the robotic waterjet technique, not for electrosurgical resection, laser treatment, or incision alone. The operative record should support the indication, the waterjet method, and the procedure performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 52597 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $550.94 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $594.27 |
How the 52597 rate is calculated
Each of 52597’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 · 52597
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.25Practice expense 4.85Malpractice 1.32
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 52597
52597 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 52597
Prostate resection
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.08/0.83/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 52597
Prostate resection
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
52597 without 51 · national facility
$548.44
Prostate resection
52597-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$274.22
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%).
52597 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
52597 vs 52601 vs 52648 vs 52649 vs 52500: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 52601TURP
- Use 52597 for robotic waterjet resection. Use 52601 when the prostate tissue is resected transurethrally with an electrosurgical technique.
- 52648Laser prostate surgery
- 52648 describes laser vaporization of prostate tissue; it is not the robotic waterjet method reported with 52597.
- 52649Laser enucleation
- 52649 is for laser enucleation of prostate tissue. Choose 52597 when the documented procedure uses robotic waterjet resection.
- 52500Bladder neck resection
- 52500 is for transurethral incision of the prostate, rather than resection of prostate tissue with a robotic waterjet.
52597 billing questions
How does 52597 differ from electrosurgical TURP?
52597 identifies robotic waterjet resection. Electrosurgical transurethral prostate resection is reported with 52601.
Is imaging guidance included?
Imaging guidance is included when performed as part of the robotic waterjet resection; it is not a separate unit of 52597.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others.
Does Medicare pay for an assistant or co-surgeon?
Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
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
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