Relationship to Original Procedure Matters for -78, -79

Why This Topic Matters

Correct modifier selection affects how postoperative services are interpreted and billed after surgery. Readers need to recognize when a later service is tied to the original procedure versus when it is separate and unrelated.

Article Sections

1. You need a return to the OR to apply -78

   Introduces the topic by comparing the two postoperative modifiers and framing the key question used to distinguish related versus unrelated follow-up surgery. It also sets up the general context of subsequent procedures during the postoperative period.

2. Meet 3 Guidelines for -78

   Summarizes the broad circumstances under which one postoperative modifier is discussed, including the relationship to the initial surgery, the timing within the global period, and the setting of the later service. An example is included to illustrate the topic at a high level.

3. Bundle Procedures That Don't Require OR Visit

   Explains the article’s general discussion of complications handled without an operating-room return and how those services are treated in the postoperative period. The section contrasts office-based management with operative management at a broad level.

4. Apply -79 for Brand-New Circumstances

   Covers the second postoperative modifier and the general conditions described for unrelated services during the global period. It includes a separate example involving a later procedure performed for a different clinical issue.