Wiki Re: Assist/Cosurgeons

[medicalsec]

Re: Assist/Cosurgeons

We have two general surgeons in the same office. One took out the gallbladder and the other assisted. During the course of the procedure the primary surgeon decided to turn over the laparoscopic resection of the liver to the other doctor who is in the same office. They both dictated separate operative reports listing each other as the assist to each other. It seems to me as if they are unbundling the surgery, and that the 47563 and the 47100 should not be unbundled between the surgeons. They are also not really co-surgeons since they really each did their own part, and they are in the same specialty. I feel that really the entire procedure should have been done by one surgeon, but it was divided up between two general surgeons. I certainly don't want the patient to have two bills with each code separated into two bills. Any suggestions? I believe it will be difficult to justify co-surgeons on these codes.

Thanks,

Dee

 

[sgareddy]

aSST/COSUR

PLEASE CHECK THE MOD 62. BOTH THE CPT CODES ARE ALLOWED TO USE 62 CO-SUR MOD. PLEASE SEE THE BELOW DESCRIPTION FROM ENCODER FOR 62 MOD.
When 2 surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct part(s) of a procedure, each surgeon should report his/her distinct operative work by adding modifier 62 to the procedure code and any associated add-on code(s) for that procedure as long as both surgeons continue to work together as primary surgeons. Each surgeon should report the co-surgery once using the same procedure code. If additional procedure(s) (including add-on procedure(s) are performed during the same surgical session, separate code(s) may also be reported with modifier 62 added. Note: If a co-surgeon acts as an assistant in the performance of additional procedure(s), other than those reported with the modifier 62, during the same surgical session, those services may be reported using separate procedure code(s) with modifier 80 or modifier 82 added, as appropriate.