If you already code 58543 claims regularly, 58544 will feel familiar with one important difference. The moment a tube or ovary comes out during that same laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, the code changes, and so does what your documentation needs to prove.
This guide walks through the exact criteria for CPT 58544, how it differs from the rest of the supracervical hysterectomy family, and what your operative note and modifiers need to show so the claim clears review without a second look.CPT code 58544 describes a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy performed on a uterus weighing more than 250 grams, where at least one fallopian tube and/or one ovary is also removed during the same operative session. The uterine body is removed while the cervix is left in place, and the uterine tissue is typically extracted abdominally, often through morcellation, coring, or bivalving.
This code belongs to a tightly defined family that differs only by uterine weight and removal status. Seeing all four codes side by side makes it much easier to select the right one.
Before assigning 58544, confirm that the operative documentation supports each of the following elements of the code.
These situations call for a different code in the family or a different code set entirely, so it helps to rule them out before finalizing the claim.
Several related codes are bundled into 58544 under National Correct Coding Initiative edits, and billing them separately on the same claim is a common cause of denial. Keep these exclusions in mind before submission.
The right modifier on a 58544 claim depends entirely on what the operative note documents, not on habit or convenience.
These are the details payers expect to see clearly stated in the chart before they will pay a 58544 claim without a follow-up request.
These scenarios show how 58544 applies in practice and where a neighboring code would be the better fit instead.
A patient with symptomatic fibroids and a family history of ovarian cancer undergoes a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. The operative report documents a uterine weight of 340 grams, with both ovaries and tubes removed and the cervix preserved. This case supports CPT 58544.
During a similar supracervical hysterectomy, the surgeon also removes a single fallopian tube due to a documented hydrosalpinx, leaving both ovaries intact. The uterus weighs 275 grams. Because at least one tube was removed and the weight exceeds 250 grams, 58544 is the correct code.
The uterus weighs 310 grams, but the surgeon leaves both tubes and both ovaries fully intact. Since no tube or ovary was removed in this session, the correct code is 58543, not 58544.
Codes like 58544 carry more moving parts than most gynecologic surgery claims, between uterine weight thresholds, removal status, NCCI bundling edits, and a 90-day global period that affects everything billed afterward. Our team at CureCloudMD checks every one of these details against the operative note before the claim goes out, not after a denial comes back.
As part of our dedicated OB-GYN medical billing services, we verify weight documentation, removal status, bundling exclusions, and modifier accuracy on every laparoscopic hysterectomy claim before it reaches the payer. That level of review is a major reason our client denial rate stays below 1 percent, well ahead of the industry average.
If complex hysterectomy coding is slowing down your reimbursements, our team is ready to take that work off your plate so your staff can stay focused on patient care.