General Surgery Coding Alert

Also get ready for 5 new/revised codes for your debridement claims If you've been frustrated by lack of code detail to capture your surgeon's work for paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair, AMA CPT Codes 2011 will change that with six new codes that debut on Jan. 1. Identify Hiatal Hernia Repair, Approach, Mesh When your surgeon performs a Nissen fundoplication or Collis Nissen repair, you couldn't additionally capture the hernia repair or mesh placement -- until now.  CPT 2011 provides six new codes to describe the details of your surgeons' paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair including fundoplication, open approach by laparotomy, thoracotomy, or thoracoabdominal incision, and mesh placement, if any. You can see the details in the following new codes: 43332 -- Repair, paraesophageal hiatal hernia (including fundoplication), via laparotomy, except neonatal; without implantation of mesh or other prosthesis 43333 -- ...with implantation of mesh or other prosthesis 43334 -- Repair, paraesophageal hiatal hernia (including fundoplication), [...]