Pulmonology Coding Alert

Diagnostic scopes do not always translate to 32601. Find out why.Whether it's internally inspecting the pleura, lungs, and mediastinum, or obtaining tissue for testing purposes, thoracoscopy involves several operative procedures that can sometimes be misleading without coding guidelines to follow.Examine the following statements, and familiarize yourself with various truths and fictions surrounding thoracoscopy.1. You Can Report Diagnostic Scopes SeparatelyTruth. CMS' Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) specifically states that if the surgeon performs a diagnostic thoracoscopy on the same day as the open thoracotomy procedure, you may report the endoscopy separately. This means any diagnostic thoracoscopy (32601-32606) performed by a surgeon that determines the need for an open surgical procedure should be reported separately.Example: The surgeon examines a patient with pain and breathing difficulty (32601, Thoracoscopy, diagnostic [separate procedure]; lungs and pleural space, without biopsy) using diagnostic thoracoscopy. As a result of the test, the surgeon identifies and locates a foreign body [...]