Wiki Cholecystectomy with wedge portion of liver

[bethb]

Our surgeon performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and indicated in the note that he removed a wedge of the liver with the gallbladder because there was no definable plane between the gallbladder and liver. The specimen was sent to pathology. Can a wedge resection of the liver be charged separately in this case?

Thanks!

 

[such78]

Our surgeon performed a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and indicated in the note that he removed a wedge of the liver with the gallbladder because there was no definable plane between the gallbladder and liver. The specimen was sent to pathology. Can a wedge resection of the liver be charged separately in this case?

Thanks!

Here you go.

Per AMA

Question:

What is the correct code to report a laparoscopic wedge liver biopsy with a laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Answer:

The laparoscopic cholecystectomy is reported using an appropriate code from the 47562-47564 series. There is no specific CPT code to describe laparoscopic wedge liver biopsy. Code 47379, Unlisted laparoscopic procedure, liver, should be reported without any CPT modifier. Because unlisted codes do not include descriptor language that specifies the components of a particular service, these codes are reported without modifiers.