tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2006 Issue 11

Reader Question ~ When to Report Biopsy Separately

When to Report Biopsy SeparatelyQuestion: We often perform sentinel node biopsy and, if the frozen section of that node shows cancer, we proceed with the axillary lymphadenectomy at the same time.The August 2006 General Surgery Coding Alert instructed: -You should not separately report sentinel node biopsy and lymphadenectomy in the same region during the same operative session. Instead, you should include the sentinel node biopsy in the more extensive, planned, same-location lymphadenectomy.-Performing the sentinel node biopsy is a delicate, time-consuming process. Then we must wait for a frozen section. How can we be reimbursed for the effort...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci General Surgery Coding Alert.

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.