Surgery: Musculoskeletal System (Q&A) (December 2014)

December 2014 page 16 Surgery: Musculoskeletal System Question: A postmastectomy patient with immediate breast reconstruction with flaps presents for evacuation of postoperative hematoma. Which of the following code(s) is appropriate to report for evacuation of postoperative hematoma in a reconstructed breast? CPT code 19020 , Mastotomy with exploration or drainage of abscess, deep ; code 21501 , Incision and drainage, deep abscess or hematoma, soft tissues of neck or thorax ; or code 19499 , Unlisted procedure, breast ? Answer: Code 21501 , Incision and drainage, deep abscess or hematoma, soft tissues of neck or thorax, is appropriate to report for evacuation of this type of...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article presents short Q&A guidance from CPT Assistant focused on musculoskeletal and related surgical coding scenarios. It addresses how the publication frames reporting questions for postoperative hematoma evacuation in reconstructed breast cases and for concurrent spine procedures, with attention to general CPT coding context and payer follow-up considerations.

Why This Topic Matters

It helps coders, billers, and auditors understand the scope of the CPT Assistant discussion and whether it is relevant to questions involving postoperative complications, breast reconstruction, and spine surgery reporting. It is also useful for locating the specific code sets and procedure areas covered in this issue.

Article Sections

  1. December 2014 page 16

    Issue and page identification for the Q&A content in this installment of CPT Assistant.

  2. Surgery: Musculoskeletal System

    Question-and-answer coverage of selected surgery coding topics, including postoperative complication handling and spine procedure reporting context.

What You Will Learn

  • The types of coding questions addressed in this CPT Assistant Q&A.
  • Which surgical subject areas are discussed in the article.
  • How the article frames CPT reporting questions involving postoperative complications and concurrent procedures.
  • What general payer-related caveat is mentioned in the discussion.

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding auditors
  • Billing staff
  • Revenue cycle professionals
  • Orthopedic and surgical practice staff

Codes Discussed


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