tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2010 Issue 16

READER QUESTIONS: Distinguish Abdominal Wall for Hernia

Question: Does CPT have a specific code for a laparoscopic release and repair of an incarcerated internal hernia of the small intestine, or should we bill an unlisted code such as 49659? How would we report the same service as an open procedure? Illinois Subscriber Answer: You will have to use an unlisted code because CPT does not provide a specific code for lap release and repair of an internal hernia in the small intestine. But you should report 44238 (Unlisted laparoscopy procedure, intestine [except rectum]) instead of 49659 (Unlisted laparoscopy procedure, hernioplasty, herniorrhaphy, herniotomy). Here's why: The lap...

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


Leverage vital, to-the-point monthly guidance to boost your reporting accuracy and your coding know-how. We make it convenient for your team to stay informed, compliant, and profitable with a subscription to TCI’s General Surgery Coding Alert.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 2100 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 1999 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles

This feature is currently unavailable for online purchase. For more information, please call 801-770-4203 or Contact Us.

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

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