CPT 44020 Enterotomy, small intestine, other than duodenum; for exploration, foreign body removal, or biopsy
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
RVU Values (CMS PFS RVU26C July 2026)
Common Modifiers
None typically required
Related ICD-10 Codes
K56.60, T18.3, K63.9
Billing Tips
When billing CPT 44020, ensure your operative note clearly documents the procedure performed, clinical indication, and any complications or additional work that would support modifier usage. Always verify the code against the current AMA CPT Professional Edition before claim submission.
For multi-procedure cases, use our Case Builder to automatically calculate adjusted wRVUs with proper MPPR ranking.
Documentation and Coding Notes
AdSense readiness coding note: CPT 44020 should be treated as an educational starting point, not a final billing instruction. For enterotomy, small intestine, other than duodenum; for exploration, foreign body removal, or biopsy, the operative note or procedure note should clearly support the approach, anatomic site, laterality when relevant, clinical indication, and any separately reportable services.
Before submitting a claim or logging the case, compare CPT 44020 with adjacent codes in the same family, confirm current AMA CPT language, check CMS/NCCI edits, and verify payer-specific bundling rules. Modifier use should be tied to documentation rather than added only to bypass an edit.
Common audit checks for small bowel cases include whether the documented work matches the code descriptor, whether add-on services are separately supported, whether a global period applies, and whether ICD-10 diagnosis pairing supports medical necessity.
Related CPT Codes in Small Bowel
CPT 44120 — Enterectomy, resection of small intestine; single resection CPT 44121 — Enterectomy, resection of small intestine; each additional r CPT 44202 — Laparoscopy, surgical; enterectomy, resection of small intes CPT 44203 — Laparoscopy, surgical; enterectomy, resection of small intes CPT 44005 — Enterolysis (freeing of intestinal adhesion) CPT 44180 — Laparoscopy, surgical, enterolysis (freeing of intestinal adUse our free interactive decision tree with 500+ codes across 30 specialties
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