# Example Documentation for 93971



## Mklaubauf (Mar 20, 2012)

Hi,
My physician is not a radiologist, he is a general surgeon.   He often will do ultrasound of a pt's leg veins for varicose veins.  
Before using the code 93971 for the ultrasound, does anyone have a link that shows clinical documentation for this code.   

I do not have access to radiology coding issues.

Thank you for your help
Marci, CPC


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## srinivas r sajja (Mar 20, 2012)

Coding Noninvasive Vascular Studies
CPT codes are divided into sections for cerebrovascular arteries (93875-93888), extremity arteries (93922-93931), extremity veins (93965-93971), visceral arterial inflow and venous outflow (93975-93981), and one code for hemodialysis access scanning (93990).
When coding duplex studies, it is important to remember that real-time and spectral Doppler images are included. Color Doppler, when used only for structure identification, does not indicate that a duplex study CPT code should be used.3
A few questions commonly occur when coding for noninvasive vascular scans of the extremities. If a limited bilateral study is performed, the code used should be the “unilateral or limited study” codes (93926, 93931, 93971). These codes are not just for a unilateral, or limited unilateral study, but encompass a bilateral study, which is otherwise limited, as opposed to complete.4 The physiologic study codes state “upper or lower extremity,” making it appropriate, when both upper and lower extremities are studied, to report the code twice.5
Duplex scans and physiologic vascular measurements may be performed in conjunction with each other, or separately—one without the other. The word “duplex” indicates that imaging was performed. Coding separately for each type of study is appropriate whenever both are performed. When coding for a physiologic study, it is not necessary to have performed all of the services listed in the parentheses (eg) section to report the code.6


http://www.acr.org/Hidden/Economics...2009/NoninvasiveVascularDiagnosticStuies.aspx


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## Mklaubauf (Mar 23, 2012)

Thank you


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