Wiki Lung biopsy with talc pleurodesis

[LLynn29]

I feel like I'm off track here. Can I report a lung biopsy with a VATS talc pleurodesis? The surgeon elected to do a biopsy of a lung nodule when he had gone in to do the talc pleurodesis. If so, is there a separate code I would report with 32650? Thank you.

 

[Pam Warren]

In CPT, if you read the note underneath the heading "Thorascopy (Video-assisted thoracic surgery [VATS])", it reads "Surgical thorascopy (video-asisted thoracic surgery [VATS]) always includes diagnostic thorascopy.

So no, you can't bill a biopsy with the surgical pleurodesis.

 

[LLynn29]

Thank you Pam.

 

[arevelett]

I feel like I'm off track here. Can I report a lung biopsy with a VATS talc pleurodesis? The surgeon elected to do a biopsy of a lung nodule when he had gone in to do the talc pleurodesis. If so, is there a separate code I would report with 32650? Thank you.

Depends on the type of biopsy, if the surgeon did a VATS wedge resection, then yes. If the surgeon did a VATS biopsy (non-wedge) like "diagnostic lungs and pleural space; with biospy, then no.

 

[TWinsor]

You would not be able to report both as 32608 bundles with 32650. No modifier is allowed to override the edit.

HTH

 

[arevelett]

You would not be able to report both as 32608 bundles with 32650. No modifier is allowed to override the edit.

HTH

True, but if a theraputic wedge biopsy is done via thoracoscopy for reasons such as mass or nodule then you would use COT 32666 and pleurodesis could be billed with modifier 51.