Coder's Cranium / General

Learn the Keys to Properly Coding MACE, Mitrofanoff, and More

You’ll be able to report anastomosis with some procedures and not others.

If your urologist sees pediatric patients you may occasionally run across some procedures that you’re not used to coding.  When your urologist performs a Malone antegrade colonic enema (MACE), a Mitrofanoff procedure, or a Monti procedure, you might be left scratching your head over the proper code choice.  Follow this expert guidance to ensure you’re reporting the proper codes for every pediatric surgery your urologist performs.

Differentiate MACE and Mitrofanoff Before Coding

The MACE and Mitrofanoff procedures are similar, as both are used mainly in pediatric patients and involve similar anatomy, which makes coding for them a challenge.

MACE: For the MACE procedure, the physician uses the appendix or other small section of bowel to create an opening attached to the skin (a cutaneous stoma) to be used to irrigate antegrade with a catheter fecal matter from the colon.  “The MACE is generally a pediatric procedure used on children, but could also be used on adults, with chronic constipation or fecal incontinence.  Usually these diagnoses are found in children who are born with spina bifida or other neurological abnormalities,” explains Janell Glascock, CCS, CPMA, certified coding specialist for the Indiana University Health Physicians, Urology Department in Indianapolis.

For the MACE procedure you will first report 50845 (Cutaneous appendico-vesicostomy), says Christy Shanley, CPC, billing manager for the University of California, Irvine Department of Urology. Append modifier 52 (Reduced services) because the urologist is doing part of an appendicovesicostomy (isolating the appendix but doesn’t remove it from the large bowel).  Then, report 44680-51 (Intestinal plication [separate procedure]; multiple procedures) for the plication of the bowel, Shanley says.

Mitrofanoff: “The Mitrofanoff [procedure] can also use the appendix, or other small bowel if the appendix is not available, and attaches...

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May 20, 2011
Hot Coding Topics

Switch From 92135 to New Location Based SCODI Codes

 These terms nail down your diabetic retinopathy imaging code choice.

In CPT® 2011 in the place of your old familiar SCODI code, you’ll find three area specific codes. Check out these tips on finding the correct code for imaging as well as DR services.

Code 92135 is being split into three more specific codes. The scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging or SCODI code got used a lot in 2010 and was a high volume code. CPT 2011 deletes the code. Pick the new code based on the particular area the imaging is performed on as follows:

Area CPT 2011 Code Descriptor
Front of the eye 92132 Scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging, anterior segment, with interpretation and report, unilateral or bilateral
Optic nerve 92133 Scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging, posterior segment, with interpretation and report, unilateral or bilateral; optic nerve
Retina 92134 Scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging, posterior segment, with interpretation and report, unilateral or bilateral; retina

 

92227 Vs. 92228: Look at DR Status

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness. Yet early detection makes the condition correctable 95 percent of the time. Imaging retina center technicians can easily look at a photo and read it. The ophthalmologist can then determine if the patient has DR, the stage it’s in, and the proper course of treatment.

Equate the term “Detection” that’s in new diabetic retinopathy imaging code 92227 (Remote imaging for detection of retinal diseases [e.g., retinopathy in a patient with diabetes] with analysis and report under physician supervision, unilateral or bilateral]) with “screening” for diabetic retinopathy. “Use this...

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December 1, 2010
ICD-10 / Toolkit

ICD-10: Catch a Glimpse of Diagnoses Changes for Hematuria BPH, and More

Get used to using letters in your diagnosis coding. Take a look at some of the ways your urology diagnosis coding will change in 2013 by reviewing this chart of some common diagnoses you see in your urology practice. This rundown, based on the ICD-10 2...

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November 14, 2010
CPT / HCPCS / Hot Coding Topics

Urology Coding: Capture Kegel Exercise Pay With E/M

Don’t assume 90911 is the correct code choice.

Question: Is there a procedure code for billing for Kegel exercise teaching? Can we use code 90911 or possibly 97110?

Answer: There are no specific CPT or HCPCS codes for the performance of or teaching of Kegel exercises. To bill for teaching a patient how to properly perform these exercises, a nurse or medical technician must document a brief history and physical examination as well as the indications for and the expected goals of the Kegel exercises. Under these circumstances, you can then report 99211 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient that may not require the presence of a physician …) for this encounter.

About the service: Kegel exercises are voluntary contraction and relaxation of the perineal musculature including the urinary sphincter (pelvic diaphragm). These exercises are usually performed outside of the office without medical staff supervision, and are a non-invasive and non-surgical treatment for female and occasionally male stress urinary incontinence.

Pitfall: You should only use 90911 (Biofeedback training, perineal muscles, anorectal or urethral sphincter, including EMG and/or manometry) for the teaching of biofeedback therapy with face-to-face supervision in office by a trained member of your medical staff.

Additionally, you should use 97110 (Therapeutic procedure, 1 or more areas, each 15 minutes; therapeutic exercises to develop strength and endurance, range of motion and flexibility) only for pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation (PFMR) performed under one-on-one supervision with a physician, physiotherapist, or ancillary office staff member specifically trained in an accredited physiotherapy program.

@ Urology Coding Alert (Editor: Leesa A. Israel, CPC, CUC, CMBS).

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June 8, 2010
Coding Challenge / modifier 25

Look for Incision Evidence in Foreign Body Removal (FBR) Scenarios

Here’s why you should append modifier 25.

Question: A 47-year-old male reports to the ED complaining of a painful, swollen, and reddening right thumb. The physician performs an expanded problem focused history and examination, which uncovers two splinters. The ED...

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March 28, 2010
Toolkit

Keep All the Urodynamics Codes Straight With This Handy Cheat Sheet

Knowing the differences between the tests is your key to proper code choice. When your urologist says he performed urodynamics tests, you need to dig deeper into his documentation for clues about which code to report. Tack this overview up by your computer to help you quickly choose the right code every time. • In a simple [...] Related articles:

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January 8, 2010
Coding Challenge / E/M

Does My E/M Coding Have to Match Hospital’s E/M Coding?

Question: My physician removed a catheter in an outpatient hospital exam room. Should I include this removal as part of the E/M? If E/M is appropriate, will the hospital also report an E/M? And, if so, do the physician and hospital E/M codes need to match? Answer: You should include simple Foley catheter removal as part [...] Related articles:

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October 28, 2009