Urology Coding Alert
Complicated Notes Don't Mean Complicated Coding
Question: My urologist had a patient who was status post vasectomy with pain in areas of the cut vas deferens. The operative note said: “A midline median raphe incision was made through the skin and subcutaneous tissues. The sperm granuloma was moved over towards the incision and dissected out. The vas deferens was cut twice and the sperm granuloma was removed along with the clips from the right. The same process was repeated on the left.” The only codes for excision under vas deferens are the vasectomy or the reversal under “repair.” There is an excision of lesion of spermatic cord (55520), but this particular case was more specifically excised from the vas deferens which is within the spermatic cord. How should I code the procedure?
Florida Subscriber
Answer: You are correct. You should report 55520 (Excision of lesion of spermatic cord [separate procedure]). This would be the correct coding for the procedure as described for this clinical scenario.
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