talitha82
Guest
I have a case for hardware removal, in which the physician tried unsuccessfully to remove a screw in a patient's leg. He worked on it for over 3 hours and attempted several different things to try to get screw out. Since he was unsuccessful in removing the screw, I feel like I should code this with a modifier 53- however I also feel we should be reimbursed for the extensive amount of time and effort he spent trying to remove it. Can I code this with a 53 AND a 22? I have searched high and low to find an answer on whether these can be billed together, and I just can't find anything. Thanks!