Urology Coding Alert

Question: Our practice usually does voiding urethrocystographies (VUCGs) in the hospital. But how do we code the uroflows we do in the office?

Anonymous Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: Many urology practices schedule VUCGs in the hospital. But there is another test that can be done in the office, called uroflowmetry. In simple uroflowmetry (51736), the urologist records the amount of urine voided and the time it takes to empty the bladder. Complex uroflowmetry (51741) also is done in the office but relies on electronic equipment to assess the rate of bladder emptying. In both simple and complex uroflowmetry, the urologist must assess the ratio of volume to time.

Uroflowmetry typically is done for a variety of diagnoses, including chronic interstitial cystitis (595.1), urge incontinence (788.31), incomplete bladder emptying (788.21), benign prostate hypertrophy (600) and prolapse of vaginal vault after hysterectomy (618.5). The urologist must perform or directly supervise the procedure. If he or she only interprets the results, the modifier -26 (professional component) must be appended to indicate that only the professional component is being rendered.