Urology Coding Alert
Choose Just 1 Code for Conversions
Question: My urologist planned to perform an ESWL (50590) on a patient but aborted the procedure and changed to a fragmentation procedure which he marked as 52353. How should I code this procedure? Is modifier 53 appropriate?
Answer: Even though your urologist started with an extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL), you should not report 50590 (Lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave) for this procedure. Instead, you should just report 52353 (Cystourethroscopy, with ureteroscopy and/or pyeloscopy; with lithotripsy [ureteral catheterization is included]).
You should not use modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) in this case. Use modifier 53 only when your urologist terminates a procedure due to a threat to the patient’s well being or other extenuating circumstances such as equipment failure. However, when the doctor changes to another procedure to complete the surgery, you should just report that procedure’s code.
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Urology Coding Alert
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