Home → CPT Codes → Abscess → CPT 46050

CPT 46050 Incision and drainage, perirectal or perianal abscess; superficial

Last reviewed: May 17, 2026

AbscessGlobal Period: 10 days

RVU Values (CMS PFS RVU26C July 2026)

1.21
Work RVU
6.55
PE RVU
0.24
MP RVU
8.00
Total RVU
Estimated Medicare Payment: $267.21 (CF: $33.4009)
Global Period: 10 days

Common Modifiers

None typically required

Related ICD-10 Codes

K61.0, K61.1

Billing Tips

When billing CPT 46050, 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 46050 should be treated as an educational starting point, not a final billing instruction. For incision and drainage, perirectal or perianal abscess; superficial, 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 46050 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 abscess 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 Abscess

CPT 10060 — Incision and drainage of abscess; simple or single CPT 56420 — Incision and drainage of Bartholin's gland abscess CPT 10061 — Incision and drainage of abscess; complicated or multiple CPT 49060 — Drainage of retroperitoneal abscess, open CPT 46060 — Incision and drainage, perirectal or perianal abscess; deep CPT 10080 — Incision and drainage of pilonidal cyst; simple
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