Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Find out what code to report for a "modified radical" abdominal procedure. Last month, you learned how to use approach, uterine size/weight and extent to report hysterectomies -- but that's only part of your code selection process. To get these codes right every time, you've got to take into account additional procedures your ob-gyn may perform.Begin With Burch Code ChoicesFirst, when your ob-gyn performs a bladder and/or urethra fixation for stress incontinence in addition to a hysterectomy, you've got three coding options. And depending on the fixation point, your physician will refer to this as a "Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz," "Burch" or "Pereyra" procedure, says Melanie Witt, RN, COBGC, MA, an independent coding consultant in Guadalupita, N.M.For an abdominal approach, you should use 58152 (Total abdominal hysterectomy [corpus and cervix], with or without removal of tube[s], with or without removal of ovary[s]; with colpo-urethrocystopexy [e.g., Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz, Burch]).For a vaginal approach, you'll use 58267 (Vaginal [...]