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2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

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Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Breast Procedure- Would i code as flap or mass removal?

Would I use 19120 or 14000? thanks so much!
*
Pre-op Diagnosis: Breast mass in female [N63.0]

Post-op Diagnosis: SAME
*
CPT Code: Procedure: DIAGNOSTIC EXCISION LEFT BREAST MASS
*PR EXCISE BREAST CYST
*
ICD-10 : Post-Op Diagnosis Codes:
* Breast mass in female [N63.0]
*

Specimens:
ID Type Source Tests Collected by Time
A : palpable mass left breast Breast Breast, Left SURGICAL PATHOLOGY TISSUE EXAM
*
Findings: dense inframammary ridge bilaterally, more pronounced left lower inner parasternal breast margin with ill-defined mass effect. A curved incision was made more centrally with a thick flap created to the area of interest which is generously excised using Harmonic Focus to avoid cautery with her pacemaker in place. At conclusion there is a deliberate flattening of the area without marked contour loss and incision is closed in layers. I did not place a clip.

Indications: She has a prominent inframammary ridge, more so on the left with a slight swelling in the left lower inner quadrant adjacent to the sternum. Imaging discloses no pathology. I performed a needle biopsy and that was nondescript tissue and I would have expected fat necrosis. As an alternative to continued monitoring, she and I decided to pursue a diagnostic excision both to remove the mass but also to assure absence of a proliferative disorder.
*
Description of Procedure: In the supine position with appropriate monitoring she received general anesthesia with IV antibiotic. The left breast is prepped with chlorhexidine and draped after 3 minutes. A curved incision is made about 3 fingerbreadths from the lower inner quadrant breast margin, scalpel enters the subcutaneous adipose tissue and I now used Harmonic Focus with a thick 6 mm flap dissected to the medial most margin, and then circumferentially until amputated. I take a small volume more inferiorly to result in a smooth transition and deliberate flattening (the mound has been removed). I used 4-0 Vicryl suture and create a lateral subcutaneous flap and attached superficial aspect of this carried medially to the underside of the medialmost flap. A few more simple interrupted subcutaneous sutures were placed and then the skin closed with subcuticular technique. A Steri-Strip was used as a dressing, she tolerated a Steri-Strip before but otherwise is intolerant of other adhesives. She is now awakened and extubated, transported to PACU.
*

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

CPT 26160 pr 26111 Mass Finger

Title of procedure: Incision and drainage of mass, flexor surface, distal portion of right index finger

Portion of op note: Patient had mass at flexor surface distal to distal crease. L-shaped incision made with apex at flexor crease on radial side of finger, flexor crease upside. Dissection carried down. There was a mass. Looked like sebaceous material in it. Clearly a cystic wall. Removed in its entirety……………………………….

Confused on which code to use
26160 or 26116
Have differing opinions in office?

Thanks
CW

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Use TRAIN matrix to triage patients in mass evacuation

Developed by the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto, California, the matrix is combined with the hospital’s electronic medical records system to allow quick assessment of patients and the types of transportation needed to evacuate them to safety. The matrix is also available in PDF form online.

HCPro.com – Briefings on Accreditation and Quality

Excision right auricular mass CPT ?

Would CPT 69110 be accurate for Excision of right auricular mass??

…curvilinear incision was made over the mass and this was made with an 15 blade and carried down through subcutaneous tissue with a curved iris scissor. There was evidence of a cystic capsule…no fluid. Capsule appeared to be within the auricular cartilage. This was dissected out removing the entire capsule, leaving a defect within the cartilage. Skin remained uninvolved. Bleeding controlled with bipolar cautery. Deep dermis was closed with 4-0 monocryl and the skin was closed with 4-0 prolene in a running fashion. A bolster was applied using Xeroform gauze placed inot the anterior and posterior aspects of the pinna to prevent hematoma. This was sutured in place with 2-0 silk.

TIA
KM

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

ENT coding: nasopharyngeal mass excision via scope

A surgeon is disputing our procedural coding on the following operation. I’d like to check our work and if correct, find some official source that may help explain to him why we’ve chosen the code we did. We selected 30999 unlisted procedure, nose because there is no code describing a nasal mass excision via scope….the surgeon wants us to use 30117 Excision/destruction, intranasal lesion, internal approach, which I don’t think is accurate. I don’t code ENT much anymore, so I may be off base and would really appreciate feedback from more experienced ENT coders.

If it matters, pathology came back as:

DIAGNOSIS
Nasopharynx, biopsy:
Nasopharyngeal mucosa with reactive lymphoid hyperplasia.

PROCEDURE PERFORMED: Removal of nasopharyngeal mass.

PROCEDURE: The patient was identified, taken back to the operating suite, placed in a supine position and administered a general endotracheal anesthetic by the department of anesthesia. After being successfully induced, I directed my attention to the nasal cavity where a 0 degree scope was used to identify the right nasal cavity. The scope was taken into the nasopharynx where a nasopharyngeal mass was noted. Using Tru biting forceps and Takahashi biting forceps the mass was removed and sent to pathology. Cauterization was done intranasally and through orally until the bleeding was controlled. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was sent to the postanesthesia recovery unit in satisfactory and stable condition. Postop instructions were discussed with the family instructions to follow up in the office in six weeks or sooner pending pathology results.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Finger mass excision help

Can someone help me out with a CPT and Dx for this op? I am thinking 26115 for the procedure but I’m at a loss for the diagnosis!

Post Op Dx– RT middle finger mass, possible foreign body granuloma

Procedure Performed– RT middle finger mass excision

Indications– Patient sustained a presumed puncture injury to the middle finger more than one month prior to surgery while gardening. Patient was treated for cellulitis, which resolved. But continued to note pain and sensation of a retained foreign body in the digit. After failure of conservative management, they wish to have this area explored and any abnormal tissue excised.

Description of Procedure– A small Brunner zigzag incision was made centered at the MP flexion crease, which represented the area of maximal tenderness and swelling. Subcutaneous dissection was carried out bluntly. No foreign body was identified, but there was an area of extensive scar tissue formation, possibly consistent with a foreign body granuloma. For additional visualization, a Brunner incision was extended proximally and distally. The radial and ulnar neurovascular bundles were identified and mobilized away from the soft tissue mass. The soft tissue mass appeared to be adherent to the A2 pulley. It was mobilized off the A2 pulley with no disruption of the pulley itself. The mass was excised and sent to pathology for analysis.

Pathology– Soft tissue, right middle finger, excision; Fibrous tissue with patchy chronic inflammation and giant cells.
Comment– No birefringent foreign material could be identified on polarized light microscopic examination, but the histologic features are suggestive of a foreign-body reaction, possibly to non-birefringent material, supporting the clinical impression. Correlation with clinical findings is recommended.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Excision of ankle mass

Need CPT code for below procedure. Can we code CPT 27632

Preoperative Diagnosis: Left ankle soft tissue mass
Procedure: Excision of ankle soft tissue mass
PROCEDURE IN DETAIL: The patient was brought into the operating room and placed on the operating room table in the supine position. The anesthesiologist then proceeded to provide general anesthesia and IV antibiotics. A tourniquet was placed on the left thigh and the left lower extremity was then scrubbed, prepped and draped in the usual aseptic manner. Utilizing an Esmarch bandage, the left lower extremity was exsanguinated and the tourniquet was inflated to 300 mmHg.

Attention was then directed toward the distal aspect of the left malleolus where a hard palpable mass of about 3 cm in diameter was appreciated distal to the tibia. A linear incision was made over this lesion, at which point, cystic fluid was noted. The incision was deepened around the lesion. All superficial bleeders were cauterized as necessary and all neurovascular structures were retracted. Utilizing sharp and blunt dissection, the lesion was excised, and the origin of the cystic fluid was cauterized. The cystic lesion was then sent off to pathology and the surgical site was then copiously flushed with antibiotic-impregnated saline solution.

The surgical site was reapproximated utilizing 3-0 Vicryl in a simple interrupted stitch fashion. Lastly, the sldn was reapproximated using 4-0 nylon in a horizontal mattress stitch fashion. The surgical site was then injected with 10 mL of Marcaine 0.5% plain for postoperative pain relief, and the procedure site was then dressed with Xeroform, 4 x 4 gauze, and Kling. The patient was placed in a Cam boot for postoperative protection. The patient tolerated surgery and anesthesia well and was returned to the postanesthesia care unit with all vital signs stable and intact.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

N63 BREAST MASS ICD10 CODES – How to request “OTHER SPECIFIED” be added for Oct 2018

Hello,

Does anyone know how to make a request for additional digits to be added to ICD-10 codes?

I had hoped the N63 code group would have an addition this fall to include an additional digit of 8 like what we see on the breast cancer codes to allow for coding overlapping quadrant areas, ie. 12,3,6 or 9 o’clock locations. Breast cancer codes allow for use of C50.8– for overlapping sites, however this is not available with the breast mass codes & we do receive denials for use of the unspecified quadrant codes. At this point it does not look like the N63 section codes will change Oct 2018.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum