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Urology Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Include Washing in E/M Service

Published on Tue Apr 10, 2007

Question: Following a radical cystectomy performed several months ago, our urologist performed this  procedure in our office: He inserted a #14 catheter into the tip of the patient's penis. Then he performed a washing by drawing 10 to 20 cc of normal saline into a syringe and irrigating it into the catheter back and forth until the normal saline comes out of the penis. How can I code for this service?


North Carolina Subscriber
Answer: In this case, you should not separately report the washing procedure because there is no specific CPT code for this procedure. The procedure would be included in the E/M service your physician provided. Therefore, you should simply report the appropriate level of office visit. For example, for an established patient, report the appropriate established patient E/M code (99211-99215).
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