tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2000 Issue 5

Pathology Report Critical to Lesion Excision Coding

Nugget: If a surgeon excises more tissue to remove margins and the lesion turns out to be benign, wound closure may be billed in addition to the lesion excision. To accurately bill lesion excisions, general surgery coders need to (as always) carefully talk to their surgeons, carefully read the operative report, and wait for the pathology report before submitting claims, coding experts say. In particular, waiting for the pathology report is crucial, because only then does the surgeon know for certain whether the lesion is benign or malignant.   The excision of a malignant lesion is reimbursed at a...

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