tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2005 Issue 3

You Be the Coder: Do Multiple Polyps Mean Multiple Codes?

Question: Often, the surgeon will remove several polyps via colonoscopy using the same technique. Less frequently, she also treats polyps with different removal methods during the same visit. Can I report multiple codes in these office situations?Missouri SubscriberAnswer: You should report all polyp-removal codes once per session, regardless of the number of polyps the surgeon removes. Therefore, when the surgeon performs a colonoscopy to remove more than one polyp during the same patient encounter using the same method, you cannot report multiple codes. For instance, if the surgeon removes and cauterizes three polyps during a colonoscopy, you...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci General Surgery Coding Alert.

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.