Conquer Maxillary Cyst Removal Coding Confusion
Published on Sun Jun 07, 2009
Don't be thrown because 31267 doesn't specify what kind of tissue. Sometimes a code's wording can leave just enough gray area to throw a coder off. For instance, take 31267 (Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical, with maxillary antrostomy; with removal of tissue from maxillary sinus). The phrase "removal of tissue" sounds like a debridement. But what if your physician removes a polyp or cyst from the maxillary sinus? There's no code that says "polyp removal" or "cystectomy" for that sinus. Can you still call on 31267, or would you have to rely on a lesser code like 31256 (Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical, with maxillary antrostomy)? That was the discussion at Proliance Orthopedics and Sports Medicine where Kristi Stumpf, MCS-P, CPC, COSC, ACS-OR, works. "If the surgeon removed a maxillary cyst but did not mention he removed diseased mucosa would you code 31256 or 31267?" she asked. "I searched and searched for source data [...]