AMA CPT® Assistant - 2009 Issue 12 (December)
Surgery: Digestive System (December 2009)
December 2009 page 11b Bonus Feature: Surgery: Digestive System Question: When performing an open repair of a parastomal hernia, colostomy is freed and mobilized, but not revised or moved to a different site. Is it necessary to append Modifier 52 in order to report code 44346 ? Carolyn M. Roberts, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CPC-I Answer: No. It is not necessary to append the reduced services Modifier 52 to report code 44346 , Revision of colostomy; with repair of paracolostomy hernia (separate procedure) , as "freeing and mobilization" of the colostomy stoma is inherent in parastomal hernia repair. Surgery: Digestive System (December 2009)...
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Article Overview
This article is a short CPT Assistant bonus feature focused on a digestive system surgery coding question from December 2009. It discusses a specific open repair scenario involving colostomy management and whether a reduced-services modifier is appropriate when reporting the associated CPT procedure. The piece is most relevant to coders, billers, and compliance staff working with digestive system surgery, ostomy-related procedures, and CPT modifier application.
Why This Topic Matters
It helps readers understand how a common surgical scenario was interpreted in CPT Assistant guidance, supporting more accurate reporting and modifier selection in digestive system cases.
Article Sections
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December 2009 page 11b
A brief Q&A format article from CPT Assistant focused on a digestive system surgery coding question. The section centers on reporting considerations for a specific colostomy-related repair scenario and modifier use.
What You Will Learn
- The general coding issue addressed by the article
- How the article frames modifier use in a digestive system surgery scenario
- The type of CPT guidance provided for ostomy-related repair reporting
- How CPT Assistant presents a question-and-answer coding clarification
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Surgery practice administrators
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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