# Correct date of serivce?



## nicole edgar (May 12, 2010)

If a Surgeon starts a surgery at 11:55 pm and ends the surgery the next calender date, what date of service should be used, the date the surgery began or the date the surgery ended? Does anyone have documentation to support the answer?


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## FTessaBartels (May 17, 2010)

*Start date*

When a surgery crosses into the next calendar date, we always code with the start date.  NOTE: Sometimes (thankfully VERY rare) anesthesia will start before midnight, but surgery won't begin until after midnight. We use the SURGERY start time to determine our DOS.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC


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## carelitz (Jan 29, 2018)

I came across this situation today. E/M and start of procedure began just before midnight and ended two minutes after. I am using the start date of the surgery, but there's really no guidance out there that I can find. What is the consensus?


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