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Internal Medicine Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Anesthesia for Perineum

Published on Sat Sep 01, 2001

Question: CPT codes 00400 and 00900 both deal with lesions of the perineum. When would one be more appropriate than the other?

California Subscriber
 
Answer: This question is difficult to answer without the operative notes to reference. In general, however, the CPT 2001 manual describes 00400 as anesthesia for procedures on the integumentary system on the extremities, anterior trunk and perineum; not otherwise specified.
 
Code 00900 was deleted in 2001, but described anesthesia for procedures on perineal in integumentary system (including biopsy of male genital system), not otherwise specified.
 
The definition of 00400 was revised in CPT 2000 to include lesions on the anterior trunk, extremities and perineum. A biopsy is not mentioned in that code. Therefore, if a lesion is removed on any or all of the areas on the body listed under this code and no biopsy is performed, 00400 is the appropriate code.

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