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). CPT®...
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articles:
Note: The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.
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
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
CPT: 44346
Modifiers Discussed
CPT Modifier: 52
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