AMA CPT® Assistant - 2001 Issue 1 (January)
Surgery Digestive System (January 2001)
January 2001 page 13 Coding Consultation Digestive System, Surgery, 41155, 38724 (Q&A) Question My physician performed a composite resection (41155) on the left side of the neck and a modified radical neck dissection on the right side (38724). What is the appropriate way to code these two procedures? AMA Comment The correct coding would be as follows: 41155 38724-59 (for Medicare 38724-59,-51) This would indicate that the second procedure is separate from the first. This holds true for any procedure that includes a neck dissection performed bilaterally. Digestive System, Surgery, 41155, 38724 (Q&A). CPT® Assistant. 2001...
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Article Overview
This article presents a January 2001 CPT coding consultation from AMA guidance focused on a digestive system surgery scenario involving procedures performed on opposite sides of the neck. It is relevant for coders, billers, and compliance staff who work with surgical coding, multiple-procedure reporting, and Medicare-related modifier usage. The piece centers on a brief question-and-answer format and a short AMA comment explaining the reporting approach in a bilateral neck-dissection context.
Why This Topic Matters
Articles like this help coding professionals understand how official guidance addresses bundled surgical reporting scenarios and when additional documentation or modifier use may be relevant. It is useful for those reviewing CPT surgery coding practices, particularly in cases involving more than one procedure during the same encounter.
Article Sections
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January 2001 page 13
A short coding consultation in question-and-answer format from the January 2001 issue. It focuses on surgical coding guidance for a digestive system case involving procedures on both sides of the neck.
What You Will Learn
- How a brief AMA coding consultation is structured
- The general topic of reporting multiple surgical procedures in one encounter
- The relevance of modifier use in a bilateral neck surgery context
- How official guidance can address digestive system surgery coding questions
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Billing staff
- Compliance professionals
- Physician practice managers
Codes Discussed
Modifiers Discussed
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