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AMA CPT® Assistant - 1999 Issue 3 (March)
Lungs and Pleura Incision, 32001 (Q&A) (March 1999)
March 1999 page 11a
Coding Consultation
Lungs and Pleura Incision, 32001 (Q&A)
Question
Does code 32001, Total lung lavage (unilateral), describe an incision made into the pleural cavity?
AMA Comment
CPT code 32001 does not involve an incision or puncture of the pleural cavity. The code appears in the incision subcategory within the lungs and pleura section of CPT to avoid the erroneous assumption that code 32001 requires the use of a bronchoscope, and to eliminate confusion with the bronchial lavage procedure that requires the use of a bronchoscope (31624).
Lungs and Pleura Incision, 32001 (Q&A). CPT®...
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