Urology Coding Alert

Question: Would removal of a penile-scrotal ring that was not inside the penis be billed as CPT 54115 ?

Oregon Subscriber

Answer: You should not use 54115 (Removal foreign body from deep penile tissue [eg, plastic implant]) in this case. 54115 is for a deep foreign body removal but not for an external ring as in this case.

Better bet: There is no specific CPT® code for this type of problem. As there are many clinical scenarios that represent a foreign body involving the external genitalia, consider 55899 (Unlisted procedure, male genital system) in these clinical situations.

Remember: You may need to submit a detailed operative report and a covering explanatory letter to your payer to achieve reimbursement.