CPT 47600 Open gallbladder removal
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
RVU Values (CMS PFS RVU26C July 2026)
Source year: 2026 CMS Physician Fee Schedule national payment methodology. Last updated: April 24, 2026. Payment estimates are national educational estimates only and vary by locality, payer contract, facility setting, modifiers, and policy.
Common Modifiers
None typically required
Related ICD-10 Codes
K80.20, K80.70, K87
Billing Tips
When billing CPT 47600, 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 47600 should be treated as an educational starting point, not a final billing instruction. For open gallbladder removal, 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 47600 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 open gallbladder removal 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 Open gallbladder removal
CPT 47605 — Open gallbladder removal; with cholangiography CPT 47610 — Open gallbladder removal with exploration of common duct CPT 47562 — Laparoscopy, surgical; cholecystectomy CPT 47563 — Laparoscopic gallbladder removal with operative cholangiography CPT 47564 — Laparoscopy, surgical; cholecystectomy with exploration of cUse our free interactive decision tree with 500+ codes across 30 specialties
Open CPT Code Finder →Plain-English purpose
CPT 47600 represents an open cholecystectomy, meaning gallbladder removal through an open operative approach rather than laparoscopy.
When this code is typically used
Use it when the surgeon performs an open cholecystectomy as the actual planned or converted operative approach and removes the gallbladder through an open incision.
When this code should not be used
Do not use it for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy with cholangiography, or a biliary exploration case that is more accurately captured by a more specific biliary code.
Documentation checklist
Document why the case required an open approach, whether the operation started open or converted, the relevant anatomy and inflammation, any cholangiography or duct exploration, and whether additional biliary reconstruction was required.
Common pitfalls
Pitfalls include confusing open cholecystectomy with laparoscopic conversion workflows, missing separate documentation for cholangiography or common duct exploration, and using a generic gallbladder diagnosis without operative specificity.
Modifier considerations
Modifier decisions depend on whether other distinct procedures were performed. If cholangiography or duct exploration occurred, code selection may change rather than simply stacking modifiers.
Related codes and distinctions
Differentiate 47600 from 47605 when cholangiography is separately part of the documented operative service, and from 47610 or 47612 when common duct exploration or biliary bypass is involved.
Case-log relevance
Important for case logs because open biliary operations are less common in training and should be documented precisely when they occur.
Educational note
Educational coding support only. This page does not provide medical, legal, compliance, or reimbursement advice. Always verify CPT, CMS, NCCI, institutional, and payer-specific guidance before billing.
Author: Graydon Stallard, DO, FACOS, FACS