tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2013 Issue 12

Reader Question: Malignancy Leads Code Choice

Question: Sometimes our surgeon excises in situ basal cell carcinoma, but sometimes he uses “destruction” methods such as liquid nitrogen for small lesions. How should I code these? Texas Subscriber Answer: Because basal cell carcinoma is a malignancy, you need to choose the excision or destruction codes accordingly. Excision: For lesion excision, choose a code such as 11603 (Excision, malignant lesion including margins, trunk, arms, or legs; excised diameter 2.1 to 3.0 cm). CPT® provides 18 codes in the range 11600-11646 to choose from, depending on the malignant lesion site and size. You should not use...

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