The Otolaryngology Coding Coach

KZA consultants discuss two frequently asked spine coding questions every month. Our coding experts are also available for hourly coding consultations and can provide a customized coding and documentation review for your practice.

The Team
Mary LeGrand	Teri Gatchel

May 1, 2008

Conversion to Open Procedures

Question:

How do we code an endoscopic thyroidectomy that the surgeon had to convert to an open procedure because he was not able to complete the procedure endoscopically?    

Answer:

The surgeon reports the appropriate open thyroid CPT code.   If the documentation supports significant work over and above the normal open procedure, the surgeon may append modifier 22 to the open CPT code. 

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