tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2020 Issue Q3

Reader Questions: Modify Cancelled Surgery

Question: Our surgeon had to cancel a surgery midway through a procedure for the patient’s health. Are there any guidelines for whether I should use modifier 52 or 53 in this case? Mississippi Subscriber Answer: Modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) is the correct modifier to report for terminated surgeries “due to extenuating circumstances or those that threaten the wellbeing of the patient,” according to the CPT® code book. Your example warrants the use of modifier 53. According to Appendix A in the CPT® code book, modifier 53 “is not used to report the elective cancellation of...

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