Anesthesia Coding Alert

Hint: Don't assume it's the point of incision. Anytime you code for anesthesia during an abdominal procedure, you must determine whether the surgeon worked in the upper or lower abdomen. Read on for our experts' advice on how to know which area you should report. Background: Every anesthesia code is associated with multiple surgical procedures that can be performed in that anatomic area. CPT® includes 14 codes for upper abdominal anesthesia and 25 codes for lower abdominal anesthesia. Two prime examples that can confuse coders are: 00790 -- Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in upper abdomen including laparoscopy; not otherwise specified 00840 -- Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in lower abdomen including laparoscopy; not otherwise specified. Study Opinions on 'Dividing Line' "Knowing the 'dividing line' between upper and lower is an ongoing topic of discussion in our office," says Pam Stopher, CPC, ACS-AN, with Park Medical Management, Inc., in Memphis, Tenn. "I always wondered [...]