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Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

1 Code Can Encompass a Complex Procedure

Published on Sat Jan 14, 2006

Question: The patient wanted to terminate her pregnancy at 20 weeks. On the op notes, our ob-gyn states he did a hysterotomy procedure. The patient had a laminaria inserted the day before, but when she went to the operating room, the cervix had no change. Should I use 59855 and/or 59857, or should I use 59100?


Missouri Subscriber
Answer: You should report only 59857 (Induced abortion, by one or more vaginal suppositories [e.g., prostaglandin] with or without cervical dilation [e.g., laminaria], including hospital admission and visits, delivery of fetus and secundines; with hysterotomy [failed medical evacuation]). This code includes the laminaria insertion, the failed labor,  and the final hysterotomy with delivery of the fetus.

Remember to read the entire definition in your CPT manual -- that is, everything before the semicolon along with the indented code's descriptor.
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