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General Surgery Coding Alert

General Coding:

Understand Laterality Modifiers

Published on Tue Sep 30, 2025

Question: I’m new to coding and am having trouble understanding when to use modifiers that describe laterality. Do I use them every time a procedure involves an anatomic structure that can be considered right/left? Oklahoma Subscriber Answer: Some CPT® code descriptors include language about laterality, but other codes do not, and thus may require a modifier. Laterality modifiers are used [...]
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