tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2008 Issue 5

You Be the Coder: Is Lipoma Excision Separate With Hernia Repair?

Question: During an inguinal hernia repair (49505) with mesh, the surgeon performs an excision of a lipoma of the spermatic cord. Should I report an additional code for the excision? The pathology report shows the specimen is a "hernia sac," and final diagnosis is "fibroadipose tissue." Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: Code 55520 (Excision of lesion of spermatic cord [separate procedure]) properly describes excisions of the type your surgeon performed. But 55520 is a designated "separate procedure" that occurs here with a related primary procedure, the hernia repair 49505 (Repair initial inguinal hernia, age 5 years or older; reducible)...

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