CODING CORNER: Test Yourself: Are You Correctly Reporting Sinus Surgery?

Develop a nose for correct coding with this quiz

One session with an otolaryngologist can quickly rack  up more than one code. Find out if you're capturing all the necessary outpatient charges by choosing the right codes for these sinus situations.
 
Scenario 1: The physician performs a total bilateral anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy, a frontal sinus exploration, and a bilateral sphenoidectomy. He then performs a septoplasty and maxillary antrostomy.

Answer: 


31276-50 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical with frontal sinus exploration, with or without tissue removal from frontal sinus; bilateral procedure


31255-50 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, total (anterior and posterior); bilateral procedure


30520 - Septoplasty or submucous resection,  with or without cartilage scoring, contouring, or replacement with graft


31287-50 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical, with sphenoidotomy; bilateral procedure


31256-50 - ...with maxillary antrostomy; bilateral procedure.


Scenario 2: A 25-year-old  male undergoes a partial left anterior ethmoidectomy and frontal sinus tissue removal, as well as a bilateral sphenoidectomy with tissue removal. The doctor then performs a septoplasty on this patient.
Answer: 


31276 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical with frontal sinus exploration, with or without tissue removal from frontal sinus


30520 - Septoplasty or submucous resection, with or without cartilage scoring, contouring, or replacement with graft


31254 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial (anterior)


31288 - ...with sphenoidotomy; with removal of tissue from the sphenoid sinus.


Scenario 3: A physician performs a total bilateral anterior and posterior ethmoidectomy and bilateral frontal sinus stenting. She also removes tissue from the frontal sinus. She then performs a submucous resection of the turbinates.
Answer: 


31276-50 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical with frontal sinus exploration, with or without tissue removal from frontal sinus; bilateral procedure


31255-50 - Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, total (anterior and posterior); bilateral procedure


30140-50 - Submucous resection turbinate, partial or complete, any method; bilateral procedure


31299-50 - Unlisted procedure, accessory sinuses.

 - Quiz answers provided  by Bradley Chastant, MD, FACS, with Acadian ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery in Lafayette, La.



- Published on 2004-10-11