In the CPT 2021 code set, the parenthetical note for code 33025 states Do not report 33020 , 33025 in conjunction with 32551 , if pleural drain/chest tube is placed on the ipsilateral side. In addition, the parenthetical note for code 32551 states Do not report 32551 in conjunction with 33020 , 33025 , if pleural drain/chest tube is placed on the ipsilateral side. A surgeon performed a pericardial window and partial resection through a midline incision over the xiphoid. He placed drainage tubes into the pleura bilaterally through two separate stab incisions. In this clinical scenario, would it be appropriate to report code 32551 with modifiers 50 and 59 appended, based on the parenthetical notes in the CPT 2021 code set? ...

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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 reviews a CPT 2021 parenthetical note issue involving pericardial surgery and pleural drain or chest tube reporting. It is aimed at coders, billers, and clinical documentation staff who need to understand how the article frames bundled and separately reported services, as well as the role of modifiers and laterality in the described scenario.

Why This Topic Matters

Articles like this help coding professionals interpret CPT parenthetical notes consistently and recognize when a service is discussed in relation to another procedure, especially in complex operative cases involving chest drainage and laterality.

Codes Discussed

• CPT: 33025
• CPT: 32551
• CPT: 33020

Modifiers Discussed

• CPT: 50
• CPT: 59

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