Why 90-Day Global Procedures Can Fool Your RVU Math

Last reviewed: May 17, 2026

Free CPT Code Finder Editorial • Updated May 2026 • 5 min read

A big RVU number can flatter you. It can also lie to you if you ignore how much postoperative work is already baked into a 90-day global code.

The hidden issue

Surgeons often look at the work RVU on a major procedure and assume it reflects just the operation. It does not. A 90-day global code includes pre-op and post-op physician work that is already bundled into the valuation.

What gets buried inside

Immediate preoperative assessment tied to the operation
Routine inpatient or outpatient postoperative follow-up
Usual post-op decision making and care coordination

Why surgeons misread productivity

If one surgeon does a high volume of big 90-day cases, the RVU output may look incredible even though a lot of effort is spread across weeks of follow-up. Another surgeon doing fragmented acute care, procedures, and separate E/M work may feel busier with fewer headline RVUs.

Where money leaks

Uncaptured modifier 57 visits before major surgery
Failure to distinguish unrelated postoperative E/M work
Under-documenting procedures that should outrank exploratory work

Bottom line for practice owners

Do not judge surgeon productivity by raw procedure RVUs alone. Global work distorts everything. If you want a fair view, pair RVU data with case mix, call burden, complication burden, and separate E/M capture.

Use this with the CPT lookup tool

When comparing global-period procedures, use the Free CPT Code Finder to check the code descriptor, work RVU, global period, and neighboring procedure codes before you decide what the case is really worth.

Bottom line

A surgeon-focused RVU guide explaining why 90-day global procedures look richer than they feel and where post-op work hides inside the value.