tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2011 Issue 1

Resolve 52, 53 Modifier Ambiguity for Incomplete Scope

Avoid frequency trap in 2011.Suppose your general surgeon performs a procedure on a patient who is scheduled and prepared for a total colonoscopy. During the procedure, the physician discovers that due to unforeseen circumstance, he cannot advance the colonoscope beyond the splenic flexure. How should you report it?Code it: You should report the colonoscopy code 45378 (Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen[s] by brushing or washing, with or without colon decompression [separate procedure]) with the appropriate modifier -- but which modifier?Disparate instructions sow confusion: For the incomplete colonoscopy scenario, past...

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

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