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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Surgical Scope Always Includes Diagnostic Scope

Published on Fri Aug 01, 2003

Question: The surgeon performed diagnostic thoracoscopy followed by surgical thoracoscopy with partial lobectomy. Should I report only the surgical procedure, or can I bill for the diagnostic scope also?

Utah Subscriber   Answer: Thoracoscopy follows the same guidelines as other endoscopic procedures, as noted in CPT. This means that the diagnostic scope is bundled to (included as an integral component of) a subsequent surgical scope on the same date of service. CPT designates all diagnostic thoracoscopy codes (32601-32606) as separate procedures, meaning that you may report such a procedure only if it is carried out independently or considered to be unrelated to or distinct from procedures/services provided at that time. Therefore, you may not separately report (or expect payment for) the diagnostic thoracoscopy in addition to the surgical thoracoscopy with partial lobectomy (32663, Thoracoscopy, surgical; with lobectomy, total or segmental).
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