Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Find out what codes include fluoroscopic guidance.When your gastroenterologist deals with any of several types of gastrointestinal (GI) tubes (gastrostomy tubes, duodenostomy or jejunostomy tubes, cecostomy or other colonic tubes, and gastro-jejunostomy tubes), you should scrutinize how he carried out the procedure on the patient to determine the proper CPT codes.GI tube procedures comprise three main types: initial tube placement, tube placement, and tube maintenance. Each provides a unique set of guidance that calls for different coding approach. Follow it to a T, and you'll always be treading safe waters. See what our experts have to say.Pick Proper 'Initial' GI Tube Placement CodeIf your gastroenterologist performed an initial, percutaneous insertion of a gastrostomy tube, without using an endoscope and including radiologic supervision and interpretation, use 49440 (Insertion of gastrostomy tube, percutaneous, under fluoroscopic guidance including contrast injection[s], image documentation and report).In this procedure, the gastroenterologist creates a puncture through the [...]