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Anesthesia Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Lithotripsy Outweighs Stent Placement

Published on Tue Nov 01, 2005

Question: Our physician administered spinal anesthesia during electrohydraulic lithotripsy and double-J stent placement. What codes and modifiers should I report for the procedure, considering the patient has controlled hypertension?


Massachusetts Subscriber


Answer: CPT includes two codes for lithotripsy, depending on whether the procedure included a water bath. You-ll report either 00872 (Anesthesia for lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave; with water bath) at seven base units or 00873 (- without water bath) at five base units.

Because the physician performed the lithotripsy and stent placement during the same session, you-ll only report an anesthesia code for the higher-base procedure--in this case, the lithotripsy.
 
The controlled hypertension you mention is a diagnosis, not a procedure the anesthesiologist performed in this case, so you won't report it.
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