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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Stand-alone J-tube

Published on Sat Jun 01, 2002

Question: Should I code a stand-alone J-tube as 49000 (Exploratory laparotomy, exploratory celiotomy with or without biopsy[s] [separate procedure]) with $0 and +44015 (Tube or needle catheter jejunostomy for enteral alimentation, intraoperative, any method [list separately in addition to primary procedure])? Connecticut Subscriber Answer: Absolutely not. Code 44015 is an add-on code and can be billed only with another abdominal surgical procedure, not a diagnostic procedure. The correct code would be 44300 (Enterostomy or cecostomy, tube [e.g., for decompression or feeding] [separate procedure]).  
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