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Urology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Use Unlisted-Procedure Code for Degloving of Penis

Published on Sat Feb 01, 2003

Question: My urologist degloved a patient's penis, explored for damage, and nothing more was done. How should I code this? UCA Subscriber Answer: It isn't surprising that you are having trouble locating an appropriate code for the degloving of a penis as a primary procedure, because there isn't one.

Because nothing other than degloving of the penis was performed, you have to use the unlisted-procedure CPT code 55899 (Unlisted procedure, male genital system). Your claim should include a copy of the operative report and a note explaining what the physician did and why. This explanatory note should include the method of approach the urologist used to deglove the penis.

In many cases, the procedure "degloving the penis" is performed in conjunction with another operation, in which case, coding and billing the procedure performed with the operative approach of degloving the penis would be appropriate. However, in your case, because there was no gross injury needing repair or foreign-body removal, your best bet is to use the unlisted-procedure code.
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