Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: Recently at our ASC, our gastroenterologist planned a diagnostic endoscopic procedure for a patient. In the pre-op room, all the pre-admission work was done and the IV line was in. Before the patient could be shifted out of the room for the procedure, the patient's heart rate dropped. The anesthetist attended the patient and administered medications to stabilize the patient. Due to the patient's heart condition, the procedure was cancelled. Can the procedure be claimed using modifier73 as the patient was not sedated and was not shifted to the procedure room?Wisconsin SubscriberAnswer: Yes, you can use modifier 73 (Discontinued out-patient hospital/ambulatory surgery center (ASC) procedure prior to the administration of anesthesia) in this scenario, as the procedure was discontinued as extenuating circumstances threatened the wellbeing of the patient if the gastroenterologist had continued with the procedure. This modifier can be used even though the patient had not been shifted [...]