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Dr goes in to performs surgery as recurrent inguinal hernias but finds no recurrent hernias. He does find weakness and bellowing and reinforces with mesh. Would you agree billing a diagnostic laparoscopic procedure?
If the surgeon placed mesh to correct the problem, that is therapeutic and I would not consider this a diagnostic procedure. I would use the unlisted code 49239 and base the charge/expected reimbursement on the recurrent hernia repair code cost.