Robotic Assisted Surgery

Why This Topic Matters

Robotic-assisted surgery is increasingly common, and accurate reporting depends on understanding the procedure category, approach-based classification, and the relationship between the robotic assistance code and the underlying surgical procedure.

Article Sections

1. Overview of robotic-assisted surgery

   Introduces the robotic-assisted procedure category, the effective date of the change, and the general purpose of the technology in minimally invasive surgery.

2. Relationship to computer-assisted surgery

   Describes the distinction between robotic-assisted surgery and computer-assisted surgery and notes the types of technology involved in each.

3. Approach-based robotic-assisted procedure codes

   Outlines the robotic-assisted procedure category by surgical approach and identifies the general set of code options included in the classification.

4. Coding note for the primary procedure

   Explains that the robotic-assisted code does not replace the underlying surgical procedure and that the primary procedure is reported separately.

5. How should a total laparoscopic robotic assisted cholecystectomy be coded?

   Presents a coding question about a laparoscopic robotic-assisted cholecystectomy and the article’s response format.