tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2000 Issue 12

Use Modifier -60 to Correctly Bill Complex Adhesion Removal

CPT 2001s new modifier, -60 (altered surgical field), could be good news for general surgeons and their coders. Until now, any procedure that was complex and required additional work and time was coded and billed with modifier -22 (unusual procedural services). As of Jan. 1, 2001, however, if the procedure is more complex because the surgeon has encountered an altered surgical field, CPT instructs surgeons to use modifier -60. CPT describes modifier -60 as follows:Altered surgical field: Certain procedures involve significantly increased operative complexity and/or time in a significantly altered surgical field resulting from the effects of prior surgery...

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