Urology Coding Alert

Question: The physician performs an intra-abdominal pressure study for a patient who is catheterized and isn't voiding during the study. Can I still use 51797?

South Dakota Subscriber

Answer: Code +51797 (Voiding pressure studies, intra-abdominal [i.e, rectal, gastric, intraperitoneal] [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) is an add-on code. That means that you could report +51797 coupled only with a "primary" CPT code. Therefore, you can never report +51797 alone.

Last year the "primary" code required when also billing +51797 was 51795 (Voiding pressure studies; bladder voiding pressure, any technique). CPT 2010 eliminated 51795. Now the primary codes (required to also bill +51797) are 51728 (Complex cystometrogram (i.e., calibrated electronic equipment); voiding pressure studies [i.e., bladder voiding pressure], any technique) or 51729 (... with voiding pressure studies [i.e., bladder voiding pressure] and urethral pressure profile studies [i.e., urethral closure pressure profile], any technique) -- both of which include bladder voiding pressure.

-- Answers to Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were contributed by Michael A. Ferragamo, MD, FACS, clinical assistant professor of urology at University Hospital, State University of New York, Stony Brook.