nsteinhauser
Expert
ENT coders - any ideas with documentation here would be greatly appreciated.
Surgeon removes left thyroid lobe with isthmus AND does a central neck dissection. If it was a total (both lobes) thyroidectomy with central neck dissection, I could code 60252: Thyroidectomy, total or subtotal for malignancy; with limited neck dissection. But since this is not a TOTAL, just one lobe, I first thought 60220 with a 38724 -lt. BUT - Barb C. states in the Otolaryngology Coding Alert 2012 that a central neck dissection is a limited neck dissection. 38724 represents a modified radical neck dissection. Also a "limited neck dissection is not a radical neck dissection and not a modified radical neck dissection" So 38724 is not the appropriate code for a 'central neck dissection.' Yes, the central compartment is PART of the modified radical but not the same thing.
So - 60220 with a 38510?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
Surgeon removes left thyroid lobe with isthmus AND does a central neck dissection. If it was a total (both lobes) thyroidectomy with central neck dissection, I could code 60252: Thyroidectomy, total or subtotal for malignancy; with limited neck dissection. But since this is not a TOTAL, just one lobe, I first thought 60220 with a 38724 -lt. BUT - Barb C. states in the Otolaryngology Coding Alert 2012 that a central neck dissection is a limited neck dissection. 38724 represents a modified radical neck dissection. Also a "limited neck dissection is not a radical neck dissection and not a modified radical neck dissection" So 38724 is not the appropriate code for a 'central neck dissection.' Yes, the central compartment is PART of the modified radical but not the same thing.
So - 60220 with a 38510?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!