Urology Coding Alert
Watch Out for New FireFly Technology Pitfalls
Question: How would you recommend coding a FireFly partial nephrectomy? My surgeon thinks 15860 should be used. I can’t find a better code and I am hesitant to use that code since it is to check for vascular flow of a graft. Ohio Subscriber Answer: FireFly technology includes the intravenous injection of a fluorescein agent that under darkened lighting allows one to differentiate normal renal tissue (bright fluorescence green) from tumor/cancerous tissue (dark fluorescence green to black). This color differentiation allows an accurate removal of a kidney tumor with the sparing of more surrounding normal tissue. Coding: This technology is included in the partial nephrectomy whether the procedure is open (50240, Nephrectomy, partial) or robotic (50543, Laparoscopy, surgical; partial nephrectomy). You cannot bill separately for the FireFly technology. Coding 15860 (Intravenous injection of agent [eg, fluorescein] to test vascular flow in flap or graft) would be inappropriate coding.
Urology Coding Alert
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