Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Your best strategy may be applying these modifiers. Otolaryngology coding can hold surprises. For example, suppose your surgeon plans to perform a bilateral neck dissection with thyroidectomy and trachea resection but ends up having to also perform plate stabilization for access to the lymph nodes in the superior mediastinum. You can overcome this challenge with a thorough review of the documentation and careful use of modifiers. Still need convincing? Consider the following op report. After you review it, code the procedures before you check out our expert advice below. Preoperative diagnosis: Medullary carcinoma of the right lobe of the thyroid, stage T4-A, N1-B, M0. Procedure overview: Another ENT previously started a total thyroidectomy on this patient but found that the cancer was eroding into the trachea, so he referred the patient to this surgeon. The new surgeon performed a right modified radical neck dissection with preservation of the spinal accessory [...]