Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Find out why you should avoid coding a septoplasty in the presence of 21330.When you're face-to-face with a transnasal turbinate surgery claim, make sure to put your clinical judgment call on high alert given the variety of anatomic sites, surgical techniques, and types of instrumentation involved in this type of service.Example: Your otolaryngologist removes the middle turbinate during an endoscopic ethmoidectomy (31254, Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, partial [anterior], or 31255, Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with ethmoidectomy, total [anterior and posterior]) or endoscopic polypectomy (31237, Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with biopsy, polypectomy or debridement [separate procedure]). The middle turbinates are considered access to the sinuses, so you should be able to tell that the removal of the middle turbinate should not be reported separately.Check out these 3 frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help master your turbinate surgery coding skills.Should 30130 and 30140 Go Hand-in-Hand?Suppose the documentation states that the physician entered or [...]