tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2008 Issue 11

You Be the Coder: How Do FNA and Puncture Aspiration Differ?

Question: I-ve always been somewhat confused by the difference between fine needle aspiration (10021-10022) and puncture aspiration (19000-19001). They seem almost identical to me. What differentiates these procedures? Minnesota Subscriber Answer: During fine needle aspiration (FNA), the surgeon uses a fine-gauge needle (from 18 to 25 gauge) and a syringe to sample fluid from a cyst or remove clusters of cells from a solid mass. The surgeon may make several passes to obtain an adequate tissue specimen. Specifically, the fine needle takes out an "aspirate," which is typically a mixture of fluid and cells that the surgeon sends...

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