Gastroenterology Coding Alert

A single centimeter can change code choice for these procedures. Confused about those operative notes on the lower GI endoscopy your gastroenterologist just performed? Check out this endoscopy guide for a primer on the upper and lower GI procedure codes. Know the Difference Between GI Endoscopies There are two main types of endoscopies, says Liz McDonald, CPC, coding specialist in the department of surgery at UPMC-Pittsburgh: upper and lower. During an upper GI endoscopy, the gastroenterologist enters the mouth via endoscope and "will view esophagus, stomach, and either the duodenum and/or the jejunum," she says. During a lower GI endoscopy, on the other hand, the gastroenterologist uses the endoscope to "enter the anus and view from the anus to the cecum," McDonald says. The first step toward most endoscopy code choices is identifying whether the procedure is an upper or lower GI endoscopy, says Jan Rasmussen, CPC, AGS-GI,ACS-OB, president of [...]