Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Check Global Period for these Debridement Procedures
Question: A patient returns to the doctor’s office for a debridement of a tympanoplasty with a mastoidectomy (69641) that occurred two weeks ago. Can I bill out using 69220? Delaware Subscriber Answer: Since the debridement is related to the initial procedure, you will want to take a look at the specific code’s global period to determine whether or not 69220 (Debridement, mastoidectomy cavity, simple [eg, routine cleaning]) is billable. You will see that 69641 (Tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy [including canalplasty, middle ear surgery, tympanic membrane repair]; without ossicular chain reconstruction) has a global period of 90 days. Since the debridement is within the code’s global period, you will not report 69220 separately. Hypothetical: If the patient returns within the global period to have an unrelated procedure on the same ear as the prior tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy, you will want to submit the procedure code with modifier 79 (Unrelated Procedure or Service by the Same Physician or other qualified health care professional During the Postoperative Period).
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