Gastroenterology Coding Alert

CPT deletes intraperitoneal catheter insertion code. Do you know what CPT changes will affect your gastroenterology practice in 2012? Here's a hint: two peritoneocentesis codes will be missing in your CPT manual. Instead, you need to be ready to report new codes as replacements. Replace Old Peritoneocentesis Codes With Three New Ones The change will eliminate 49080 (Peritoneocentesis, abdominal paracentesis, or peritoneal lavage [diagnostic or therapeutic]; initial) and 49081 (...subsequent), and will replace them with three new codes: 49082 -- Abdominal paracentesis (diagnostic or therapeutic); without imaging guidance 49083 -- ...with imaging device 49084 -- Peritoneal lavage, including imaging guidance, when performed. When fluid between abdominal structures in the abdomen accumulates, the physician may perform abdominal paracentesis. CPT 49082 describes the procedure wherein a needle is used to remove a sample of fluid or to drain fluid that has accumulated. This procedure should be performed without image guidance (49083 describes image-guided diagnosis [...]