Urology Coding Alert
Take Advantage of the Units Area of Your Claim Form
Question: My physician had to help a general surgeon that was doing an abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer and created two urethrotomies. My doctor went in and closed them. How do I bill for that?
North Carolina Subscriber
Answer: You should report 53515 (Urethrorrhaphy, suture of urethral wound or injury; prostatomembranous) once for the closure of both urethrotomies.
Add a 2 in box 24G, the units box, of your claim submission form indicating that your urologist did this procedure twice for the two injuries reported.
Diagnoses should include S37.33XA (Laceration of urethra) and N99.72 (Accidental puncture and laceration of a genitourinary system organ or structure during another procedure).
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