Urology Coding Alert

Question: The surgeon performs a cystoscopy with transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) on a patient with benign hypertrophic prostatitis. What CPT® code am I reporting? May I report the catheter placement separately?

Indiana Subscriber

Answer: During a TUIP procedure, the surgeon will pass a resectoscope into the tip of the penis to the prostate. The surgeon then makes one or more incisions or cuts through the bladder neck and into the prostatic urethra. Next, the provider will insert a urethral catheter into the bladder for postoperative drainage.

First, it’s important to know that the catheter insertion is an inherent component of a TUIP procedure. You will only report one code for this service: 52450 (Transurethral incision of prostate). Furthermore, you’ll want to keep in mind that you should report code 52450 with modifier 52 (Reduced services) for incisions exclusively made at the bladder for a bladder neck contracture.

Caution: Make sure not to mix up this service with a transurethral resection of the prostate procedure: 52601 (Transurethral electrosurgical resection of prostate, including control of postoperative bleeding, complete (vasectomy, meatotomy, cystourethroscopy, urethral calibration and/or dilation, and internal urethrotomy are included)). A TURP is a much more complicated procedure in which the surgeon resects a portion of the prostate gland.