General Surgery Coding Alert

Tip: Know when to include a lymph node excision code, or pay the price. If youre reporting the wrong partial mastectomy code or leaving off a lymph node excision code because youre not identifying exactly what procedure the surgeon performed, you could be costing your practice almost $250 per procedure. Or, if you upcode when you shouldnt, you could be getting almost $250 more per procedure than you should be, which can lead to major audit concerns. To choose the proper coding for these types of procedures, you need to dig into your surgeons operative notes. Follow these expert tips on how to decipher your surgeons documentation to ensure you choose the right code every time. 1. Choose 19301 For Partial Mastectomy If your surgeon removes a lesion plus a significant portion of surrounding tissue, you may report a partial mastectomy (19301, Mastectomy, partial [e.g., lumpectomy, tylectomy, quadrantectomy, segmentectomy]). Your [...]