Shunt Placement Cosurgeons

[medicalsec]

In the past, our General Surgeon has helped the Neuro surgeon on a CSF shunt. The Neuro doctor does the craniotomy, and our doctor has opened the abdomen laparoscopically. We have always just billed as an assistant on CPT 62223-80. A new Neuro that we are dealing with wants to bill the 62223 with a 62, but she wants us to bill the 49320 separately with a modifer 62. I told her that we can't bill the 49320 with a 62. I am not sure that we should even have her bill this with a modifer 80 by them. How do others bill this procedure.

Thanks,

Dee

[FTessaBartels]

EACH surgeon should code 62223-62. They are co-surgeons, each performing a distinct part of an entire procedure.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC

[mjewett]

I agree both surgeons should bill 62223-62. This one procedure describes both portions of the surgery that each surgeon performs.

Melissa-CPC