Wiki 44204 vs 44180 - hoping some of you bill for these services

[Colliemom]

Hi, hoping some of you bill for these services as I need some advice.

I am new to coding for general surgery, and I am reviewing op reports before I submit claims. For one patient, the surgeon submitted billing his billing as 44204, 153.4, 578.9.

When I read his op report, it sates he performed a "laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with laparoscopic lysis of adhesions." There is a code for lysis of intestinal adhesions, which is 44180, but the CPT indicates it is a (separate procedure). So can this be billed with 44204, or is it bundled?

 

[cynthiabrown]

it is bundled

 

[Colliemom]

Thanks Cynthia. I thought that would be the case, but the physician spent so much time doing the lysis, I was hoping it was billable. (he didn't document the exact time, so I cannot bill with a -22.)