tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2001 Issue 4

Reader Question: Excision of Facial Lipoma

Question: How should I code for the excision of a 2-cm lipoma on the forehead that was lying under the frontalis muscle?Michigan SubscriberAnswer: Normally, lipomas (a noncancerous tumor) located beneath the skin are billed using musculoskeletal codes in the 20000 section of CPT. For example, excision of a lipoma in the flank should be coded 21930 (excision, tumor, soft tissue of back or flank) rather than as a lesion excision because lipomas are typically located in the subcutaneous tissue beneath the skin. According to Susan Callaway, CPC, CCS-P, an independent coding and reimbursement specialist and educator in North...

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