tci Part B Insider - 2012 Issue 7

Reader Question: Differentiate Removal From Ablation

Question: As part of a colonoscopy, the surgeon noted internal hemorrhoids, which he ablated using hot biopsy forceps, and a raised sessile diminutive polyp in the sigmoid colon. Which procedure code(s) should we use?Answer: The answer to your question depends on whether any of the diminutive polyp was removed for pathology analysis, and if so, by what method. If the surgeon used the hot biopsy forceps to ablate the hemorrhoids and take the polyp biopsy, then you should report 45384 (Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; with removal of tumor[s], polyp[s], or other lesion[s] by hot biopsy forceps...

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