Outpatient Facility Coding Alert
Know How to Code for Nasal Valve Suspension
Question: Which CPT® code should I use for nasal valve suspension?
Wisconsin Subscriber
Answer: You should report nasal valve suspension with 30465 (Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis [e.g., spreader grafting, lateral nasal wall reconstruction]).
Code 30465 describes repair of nasal valve stenosis, a condition in which the patient’s nasal passage narrows. “Various surgical procedures for correction of nasal valve stenosis exist and most frequently involve the use of spreader grafts, but also include insertion of cartilage or plates, flaring sutures and suspension methods,” states the article “Suspension Sutures for Nasal Valve Stenosis” available at www.surgeons.org.
Suspension methods, such as the otolaryngologist in your example uses, include using a special type of stitch for nasal valve suspension. Because this procedure repairs nasal vestibular stenosis, 30465 appropriately describes the procedure.
Modifier alert: You should report 30465 when the otolaryngologist performs bilateral nasal valve suspension. If the physician does a unilateral repair, you should append modifier 52 (Reduced services) to 30465, states the instruction note following 30465 in CPT®.
Caveat: Payment of code 30465 is subject to medical necessity. Confirm your local policy before submitting the claim.
Related Articles
Outpatient Facility Coding Alert
- Neurology News:
Get Confident in Distinguishing Dementia From Alzheimer's
Remember to pay attention to associated conditions. One of the most common challenges for coders [...] - Pain Management:
Prevent Denials of Interlaminar Injections by Pinning the Levels
You can drop the bilateral modifier. If your interventional physician performs more than one interlaminar [...] - Modifier Review:
Know Your Modifier 59 Better for Cleaner Claims
Modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) is used when two codes are not normally reported together [...] - ICD-10 Training:
Delve Deeper Into Open Foot Wounds With More Anatomically Specific Codes
Specify right or left, ankle or foot. The next time you code an open foot [...] - Reader Question:
Tie the Trigger Point Injections With 20552 and 20553
Question: A patient suffered whiplash from crashing his car into a parked vehicle, and the physician [...] - Reader Question:
Append Modifier to 43239 to Reap More RVUs than 43249
Question: My understanding has been that we do not include a modifier when billing for 43249 [...] - Reader Question:
Don't Include 'Rule Out' Diagnoses
Question: My ED physician saw a patient for anterior wall chest pain. After examination, he suspected [...] - You Be the Coder:
Know How to Code for Nasal Valve Suspension
Question: Which CPT® code should I use for nasal valve suspension? Wisconsin Subscriber Answer: You should report [...]
