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Urology Coding Alert

Confidently Approach SUI Treatment Coding With 4 Pointers

Published on Tue Mar 16, 2010

Scan your urologist's documentation for quick clues to 51840 vs. 51841. With several codes to choose from, surgical female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) coding can be stressful, but your key to coding success is to focus on four details. Rule: "You really need to read the op report to see what approach is used, for starters," says Elizabeth Hollingshead, CPC, CMC, corporate billing/coding manager of Northwest Columbus Urology Inc. in Marysville, Ohio. The urologist might perform multiple procedures. "Read the report thoroughly to make sure you don't miss anything and leave money on the table," she says. Choose Between 51840 and 51841 for Abdominal Approaches If your urologist opts to perform a urethral suspension using an abdominal approach, you'll have to decide between two codes: 51840 (Anterior vesicourethropexy, or urethropexy [e.g., Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz, Burch]; simple) and 51841 (... complicated [e.g., secondary repair]), says Becky Boone, CPC, CUC, certified reimbursement assistant for [...]
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