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Wiki Tracheostomy w/ division of thyroid isthmus

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Robin R

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A surgeon is performing a tracheostomy with division of thyroid isthmus.

Is there an additional code that I can pick up along with 31600?
 
The explanation for code 31600 per the General Surgery 2010 Coding Companion, by Ingenix. "The physician makes a horizontal neck incision and dissects the muscles to expose the trachea. The thyroid isthmus is cut if necessary."

So I would say division of the isthmus is not separately billable.
 
Thanks so much!

This doctor was being a lot more descriptive than the others & I felt like I was leaving something off.

I have another question about trachs you might know the answer to.

Say a doctor describes on one OP note that they performed an emergency tracheostomy either in the ER or at the patient's bedside - CPT 31605. Then, the patient is taken to the OR & on another OP note the doctor states that they performed an exploratory laparototomy & converts the cricothyroidotomy to a tracheostomy. How would you code this scenerio?

Thanks again for your help!
 
My thought is use code 31600-58 for the second surgery. It sounds like the doctor intended the first surgery to be temporary, and then planned to create a more permanant trach later. The staged modifier (58) should work.
 
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