Wiki Post ESWL

[torih@nwurology.com]

We have a patient who had an ESWL for a renal stone then came in to have stones removed from the bladder. The stones were fragments that were in the kidney and had moved down to the bladder. Patient has Medicare and bladder stone removal was done in the exam room. Now that they are bladder stones, would this be an unrelated procedure? My thoughts are they are residual stones and therefore unbillable.

Thank you,
Tori

 

[emcee101]

I would agree with you 110% that this should not be billed. These are not really bladder stones (calculus that form in the bladder) these are ureteral/renal stones that have migrated because of a previous procedure. This is a known potential complication of an ESWL and medicare will not pay for a complication during the global period.