Urology Coding Alert

Question: It became necessary for the urologist performing a robotic laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) to abort the procedure when the patient developed a cardiac arrhythmia. I don't know of a specific code for this situation. What would be appropriate?

Delaware Subscriber

Answer: Your best option is to code 55866 (Laparoscopy, surgical prostatectomy, retropubic radical, including nerve sparing, includes robotic assistance, when performed)-53 (Discontinued procedure) to indicate that a procedure was terminated for the well-being of the patient. Appending modifier 53 to the specific procedure code will indicate that fact. Include the operative report with your claim to indicate the extent of the procedure performed before termination and expect a decreased fee.