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You’ll Need This to Get Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube Paid

Clinical Consensus Statement: Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube (BDET), published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology  ̶  Head and Neck Surgery, June 4, is important because BDET is newer technology and may be rejected for payment by third-party payers as “experimental” or “investigational.” The American Academy of Otolaryngology’s (AAO) statement will be integral to […]

The post You’ll Need This to Get Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube Paid appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.

AAPC Knowledge Center

Loopogram w/stomal dilation

Please advise correct coding for the following surgery:
Ureteroscope was inserted per stoma which was tight & very had to open & find the opening into conduit so we tried a wire where there seemed to be some openings, however, the wire would not pass. Used cystoscope & looked again & could not find an opening. Tried a regular Foley catheter, 12-French, which did not enter so used a straight cath 8-French & that was easily able to fine the pathway into the conduit. Then placed a wire through it after we had made an opening at the end & then removed the catheter & left the wire in place. Then went ahead & placed the Ureteroscope over the wire into the loopogram & the loopogram revealed that there were no abnormalities & one of the ureteral orifices was seen & it was wide open. No other abnormalities seen, no lesions seen. Inserted loopogram through it. there were smooth walls, hydronephrosis to the left. Left the wire in place & removed the ureteroscope & again went ahead & placed an 80Frnch & then started dilating with a 10-French, 12-French & 14-French without any difficulty emptying the bladder . The area was nicely dilated & the catheter was passed very easily through it. Placed the conduit device back on the stoma.
Would procedure code 52281 be the appropriate code?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Bladder Neck Contracture Dilation / attempted contracture incision

Looking for some advice on the following:

PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Bladder neck contracture.

POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Bladder neck contracture.

OPERATION: Cystoscopy, bladder neck dilation, Foley placement,
attempted bladder neck incision.

INDICATIONS FOR SURGERY:
The patient has a history of TURP in the past with bladder neck contracture and hematuria. The patient also has obstructive urinary symptoms, comes in for bladder neck incision,
ended up with dilation,
see below.

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION:
The patient was identified in the waiting room and brought into the
OR. Preoperative antibiotics were provided. Anesthesia was
administered. The patient was placed in lithotomy position, then
prepped and draped in a standard sterile surgical fashion. Time-out
was performed. Consent was verified. Next, a 19-French cystoscope
with a 30-degree lens was inserted into the urethra. No strictures
in the anterior urethra. Prostatic fossa appeared open. The
bladder neck was very tight and contracted. I could not easily pass
the scope. Next, a Sensor wire was passed through the scope into
the bladder. The scope was removed. Next, I decided to dilate the
bladder neck a little bit so I can pass the urethra tome with the
Collins knife using blue plastic dilators. I slowly dilated the
bladder neck from size 18 to size 24, which was the biggest dilator
I had. The Collins knife was only available to use with the
26-French sheath and obturator. I removed the wire and slowly tried
to pass the 26 sheath with an internal obturator. I did meet some
resistance at the bladder neck. I then stopped. Inserted a camera.
I could see the bladder neck opening, but also the patient appeared
to have a false passage to the right side at the level of the
prostate. I then decided to just leave a Foley catheter.
Again, I
placed a 19-French scope, passed a wire into the bladder. I again
passed a dilator. The 24-French dilator passed easily into the
bladder without resistance. A 22-French Council tip Foley catheter
was then passed over the wire into the bladder. Balloon inflated
with 15 mL of sterile water. Urine output was clear. No hematuria
was noted. The patient tolerated the procedure well, was sent to
recovery room in stable condition.

At first, I was planning to just bill 52281 for the contracture dilation, but since the intent was to initially do the incision, would it be more appropriate to bill as 52276-52? I have read articles from the AUA’s Michael Ferragamo stating 52276 is appropriate for contracture incisions secondary to prostatectomies. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

billing 93312 wtih 43450 TEE wtih dilation

Has anyone ever billed 93312 with 43450 when their provider cannot pass the probe for the TEE, does the dilation with a nice note and then is able to do the TEE? I can’t find any CCI edits saying they cannot be billed together or that the dilation is inherent in the TEE. Any info would be helpful. Thanks

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

CPT 52356 along with dilation for ureteral stenosis

I’m finding some conflicting information for this procedure whether the dilation would be separately billable.

Procedure: Urethral dilation, cystoscopy, right retrograde pyelogram, right ureteral dilation, right rigid ureteroscopy, right flexible digital ureteral pyeloscopy, laser lithotripsy of ureteral and renal calculi, placement of right double-J stent 6 x 26.

A 22-French cystoscope was then used to evaluate the patient. The patient was noted to have meatal stenosis. He underwent dilation of the fossa navicularis with Van Buren sounds up to 24-French.
*
A 22-French cystoscope was then used to evaluate the patient. The anterior urethra was normal in appearance without any evidence of stricture. His urethrovesical anastomosis was intact. Upon entering the bladder, both ureteral orifices were identified, appeared to be in orthotopic position with clear
efflux of urine. Systematic evaluation of the bladder with a 30- and 70-degree angle lens demonstrated no gross intravesical pathology. Specifically, no gross inflammation, tumor, or calculi.
*
A right retrograde pyelogram was performed. This demonstrated what appeared to be a stone near the iliac vessels. There was also evidence of calcification in the lower pole of the right kidney. The ureteral orifice was dilated with a Nottingham dilator. The cystoscope was then withdrawn.
*
A 6.9-French semi-rigid ureteroscope was then used to evaluate the patient. The distal ureter was normal in appearance up to the iliac vessels. The stone appeared to be proximal to the iliac vessels, but unfortunately, I was unable to navigate the semi-rigid ureteroscope proximal to the iliac vessels. At this point, an additional wire was then placed through the working port of the semi-rigid ureteroscope and the ureteroscope was withdrawn.
*
The digital ureteroscope was then advanced over the wire. We were able to identify the stone just proximal to the iliac vessels. Using the holmium laser, the stone was then dusted into multiple small fragments. The ureteroscope was then advanced at this point and a wire was placed through the digital ureteroscope and the ureteroscope was withdrawn. An 11 x 13 x 44 ureteral access sheath was then advanced. I was unable to advance the
ureteral access sheath proximal to the iliac vessels. Given this finding, I did place an additional wire, then advanced the ureteral scope into the right renal pelvis. The patient’s major stone burden was in the lower pole of the right kidney. The stone was then broken up into multiple small fragments. These fragments were too small to engage in a Nitinol basket. Systematic evaluation on remainder of the calyces demonstrated no evidence of any significant residual stone burden. At this point, then a retrograde pyelogram was performed through the scope. There did not appear to be any evidence of extravasation nor residual stone burden. The ureter was then examined as the ureteral scope was withdrawn. A 6 x 26 double-J stent was then placed into the right renal pelvis in a retrograde fashion under fluoroscopic guidance. The bladder was drained. The cystoscope was withdrawn. Please note, there was 1 stone fragment, which was retained, which will be sent for analysis. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was taken to the recovery room postoperatively. We will arrange for patient be discharged home with prescriptions for ciprofloxacin, Norco, and Ditropan. Mid-
level follow up in 1 week with KUB.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Pcmk change out with “serial dilation veoplasty to the left subclavian vein”

EP physician- changing out a pt’s pcmk & adding a biv lead.
He dictated this:
Pre-op diagnosis: ischemic cardiomyopathy, EF37-44 %, 2nd AV block, subclavian stenosis
Procedure:

#1 left subclavian venography demonstration in the presence of tight 90% stenosis of the left subclavian vein
#2 serial dilation venoplasty to the left subclavian vein
#3 coronary sinus catheterization and angiography
#4 Balloon PTA to the posterolateral branch of the coronary sinus

He wrote the code 35476 which is deleted. I am questioning if he can bill for any of the above? He used theses techniques to get to & add the leads.

Thanks,

EP

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Cystoscopy Urethreal Dilation

Pre-op Diagnosis: RECURRENT BULBAR URETHRAL STRICTURE
*
Post-op Diagnosis: Same
*
Procedure : Procedure(s):
CYSTOSCOPY DILATATION URETHRAL
*
Indications: Patient with history of bulbar urethral stricture. Dilated in the past. Now with suspected recurrent condition.
*
Details of Procedure: Informed consent. IV antibiotics. Operating room. Appropriate anesthesia. Dorsolithotomy position. Prepped appears fashion. Rigid cystoscope 17 French obturated per urethra bladder. Bulbar urethral stricture noted. Glidewire placed. Dilated using Goodwin sounds up to 24 French. Not too dense stricture. Not much resistance. I then took a cystoscope back in the bladder direct vision. Full endoscopy revealed no evidence any tumors, stones, diverticuli. I then used a 20 French silicone catheter hole punch over the Glidewire into the bladder dependent drainage. B and O suppository placed.
*
Anesthesia Type: General anesthesia

This was coded 52281

Any thoughts??
Thank you

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

1997 Guidelines for Specialty Eye Exam – Is dilation required?

Hi There,

I’m trying to figure out whether dilation is required for a comprehensive eye examination to be coded. There is new technology out there that allows an optometrist to view the optic discs, retina, & vitreous bodies without having to use drops to dilate the pupil. However, according the 1997 guidelines, these areas of the eye must be "through dilated pupils (unless contraindicated)." This information can be found on the CMS website here:
https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Edu…eferenceii.pdf

I have been trying to see if these guidelines have been updated, without luck. There is an AAPC article that states the dilated exam is optional (https://www.aapc.com/blog/30462-spli…ye-exam-or-em/), but to me, you cannot get a comprehensive examination if it is not done (comprehensive is defined as "perform[ing] all elements identified by a bullet; document[ing] every element in each box with a shaded border and at least one element in each box with an unshaded border".

If anyone has additional information that could pass along, or if they have experience with the new technology that I described above & how to document it, I’d really appreciate any help I can get!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Code for dilation of gastrostomy opening?

Is there a separate billing code for dilation of a gastrostomy opening?? Or is that bundled into the code/charge for changing the GT (43760)??
Sometimes when patients come in after their GT’s have fallen out, the open (ostomy) has closed up enough that the tube can’t be put back in and we need to dilate it back open in the office at the bedside before we can put the tube back in.
Just wondering if there is a code or charge that we can apply specifically and separately for that part.

Medical Billing and Coding | AAPC Forum