General Surgery Coding Alert
READER QUESTIONS:
Use Soft Tissue Code for Post-Mastectomy Excision
Published on Wed Apr 27, 2005
Question: How can we code for a patient who has already had a mastectomy due to breast cancer, and must now have a recurrent cancer removed from the chest wall? Oregon Subscriber Answer: Remember the patient no longer has a breast, and therefore the surgeon must remove the tissue from the muscle of the chest wall. In this case, you should report 21556 (Excision tumor, soft tissue of neck or thorax; deep, subfascial, intramuscular).
Other Articles in this issue of
General Surgery Coding Alert
- Diagnostic and Screening Colonoscopies Call for Different Coding Strategies
V code diagnoses provide justification for screening exams
When choosing a code for a screening colonoscopy [...] - You Be the Coder:
How Many Hemorrhoids?
Question: Can I report one unit of 46221 for each hemorrhoid the surgeon removes using [...] - Yes, You Can Bill Multiple Thoracoscopies
Medicare requires you to bundle 'converted' scopes to open procedures
Most general surgery coders are familiar [...] - Limit Size-Based Debridement To Nonphysician Staff
Incorrect 97597-97598 claims could mean up to $250 less
For your surgeon's debridement services, you should [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Decompression Bundled to Colonoscopy Code
Question: A patient presented with a pseudo-obstruction in the colon. The surgeon placed a decompression [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Don't Bundle Wedge Biopsy of Liver
Question: The surgeon performed an exploratory laparotomy and wedge biopsy of the liver. She excised [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Payers Treat Group Practices as 1 Provider
Question: If Surgeon 2 in our group practice provides post-op care for a patient whom [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Exploration Affects Secondary Closure
Question: On several occasions, our surgeons have performed bowel surgery and have had to leave [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Excision Codes Still Count for Stoma Site
Question: How should I report excision of a skin lesion at the stoma site?
Oklahoma Subscriber
[...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Previous Hospital Care May Affect E/M Reporting
Question: A provider insurance representative recommended at an in-house seminar that if our surgeon sees [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Use Soft Tissue Code for Post-Mastectomy Excision
Question: How can we code for a patient who has already had a mastectomy due [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Depth Determines Lymphadenectomy Code
Question: Which code properly describes axillary lymphadenectomy?
Virginia Subscriber
Answer: The code you choose depends on [...] - News In Brief:
AMA May Develop Its Own Correct Coding Initiative
Surgery coders may soon face an additional layer of guidelines, because the AMA, which oversees [...] - Medicare Proposes, Rescinds 'Medically Unbelievable' Edits
If you've heard rumors of a new category of coding edits, you can take a [...]
View All
