tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2010 Issue 11

Reader Questions: Modifier 80 Allows Assistant Surgeon Coding

Question: Our surgeon assisted another surgeon from a different practice on a laparoscopic partial colon resection for a patient with Crohn's disease. The other surgeon scrubbed out, and our surgeon proceeded to ligate an internal hemorrhoid. How can I capture the surgical assist and the surgical procedure in the same day?Answer: Bill the hemorrhoid ligation with 46221 (Hemorrhoidectomy, internal, by rubber band ligation[s]). You should additionally bill the assistant surgery as 44204 (Laparoscopy, surgical; colectomy, partial, with anastomosis), but you should append modifier 80 (Assistant surgeon) to this code.Coding both a surgery and a surgical assist on...

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