Wiki Gastrostomy Tube, Percutaneous

[ahunemuller]

The general surgeons in my practice are placing and replacing feeding tubes with a 20-22 french foley catheter through the skin into the stomach for purposes of a feeding tube. Our coders have been using an E/M code because they didn't think there was a code for this procedure. They cannot bill an E/M the way the providers are currently dictating this. When doing some research on AAPC I am thinking code 43760 would be appropriate but I would like some feedback from other general surgery billers.

 

[cgaston]

43760 is correct and I have billed it for manual replacements numerous times.


Here is the code description from the 2016 Procedural Reference Guide for Coders:

43760

When the patient is appropriately prepped, the provider frees up the existing gastrostomy tube from the skin and pulls it out. He inserts a new tube through the same path and secures it to the skin with sutures. The procedure requires no endoscopic or other imaging guidance.