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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Stick With 11600 for Repeat Excision

Published on Sat Nov 28, 2009

Question: My doctor removed a malignant mole last week, which I reported with 11600. The patient is returning for the same area to be excised larger. Is there another code, or will I use 11600 again? Louisiana Subscriber Answer: You should use 11600 (Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, or legs; excised diameter 0.5 cm or less) again, assuming that the reason the re-excision is being performed is because the margins were not clear and not because of some issue related to the scar or repair. Mind your modifiers: If the surgeon performs the second procedure in the global period of the first, you'll need to append modifier 58 (Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician during the  postoperative period) to the second procedure. You should append modifier 58 when a procedure or service is planned or anticipated at the time of the original procedure (staged), [...]
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