Price AtlasInteractive atlas · All states · techysurgeon.comWhat the whole sentinel lymph node biopsy (underarm) costs
Removing the first lymph nodes a breast cancer drains to. Every bill that usually comes with it, who sends it, and where each number comes from.
Price it for your ZIP, hospital or insurerRates by insurer
Partial estimate. Add-on codes often billed with it (38900) are not included. The totals below run low.
Medicare, national amounts, 2026
| Bill | Surgery center | Hospital outpatient |
|---|---|---|
| Facility | $1,603 | $4,000 |
| Surgeon | $431 | $431 |
| Anesthesia | $150 | $150 |
| Before surgery (typical) | $177 | $177 |
| After surgery (typical) | $70 | $35 |
| Total | $2,431 | $4,793 |
National Medicare amounts (payment-area and wage adjustments at 1.0). Facility: OPPS Addendum B, July 2026 (national unadjusted rate); local = rate × (0.6 × wage index + 0.4); ASC Addendum AA, July 2026 (national rate); local = rate × (0.5 × wage index + 0.5); device-intensive (J8) codes keep the device portion unadjusted; FY 2026 IPPS final rule CMS-1833-F, Table 5; standard amounts from Tables 1A-1E; local = weight × (labor × wage index + non-labor + capital × wage index^0.6848). Leaves out teaching (IME), safety-net (DSH) and outlier add-ons. Surgeon: CMS Physician Fee Schedule CY2026 (RVU26D). Anesthesia: CMS base units × the CY2026 anesthesia conversion factor, with an assumed case time. An educational estimate, not a quote.
Line by line (surgery center)
- Surgery center facility fee: $1,603. Billed by The surgery center. CMS ASC Addendum AA, July 2026: national rate $1,603.18
- Surgeon, CPT 38525: $431. Billed by The surgeon's group. CMS Physician Fee Schedule CY2026 (RVU26D, Oct 2026 release), facility rate, PFS locality national (GPCI 1.0)
- Anesthesia, ASA code 00400: $150. Billed by The anesthesia group. CMS anesthesia base units (CY2022 file, unchanged for CY2026) + CY2026 anesthesia conversion factor $20.49754 for the nation (ANES2026, RVU26D). Code mapping is ours, from the ASA code descriptors.
- Consultation visit (new patient): $177. Billed by The surgeon's group. CMS PFS CY2026 (RVU26D), non-facility (office) rate, CPT 99204
- Pathology (tissue exam): $70. Billed by The pathology group. CMS PFS CY2026 (RVU26D), non-facility (office) rate, CPT 88305
Questions
How much does a sentinel lymph node biopsy (underarm) cost in total, with every bill?
At national Medicare rates for 2026, the whole sentinel lymph node biopsy (underarm) comes to about $2,431 in a surgery center and about $4,793 in a hospital outpatient, counting the facility, the surgeon, anesthesia and typical care before and after. Commercial plans usually pay more; local rates differ by area.
Why do I get separate bills for a sentinel lymph node biopsy (underarm)?
The surgery center bills for the facility; the surgeon's group bills for the operation (Surgeon, CPT 38525, about $431 from Medicare nationally); the anesthesia group bills by base units plus time (about $150 at our default time); labs, imaging, pathology and therapy each come from their own provider.
What does the surgeon's fee include?
90-day global: the fee covers the operation plus the visit the day before and routine follow-up visits for 90 days.