Please note this question was answered in 2019. The coding advice may or may not be outdated.
VATS Procedure
Date: Feb 25, 2019
Question:
Typically our cardiothoracic surgeons perform a bronchoscopy prior to a VATS procedure. From what I have read, this is customary and would not be billed separately, unless the bronchoscopy becomes diagnostic (if an abnormality is identified). In that case we would bill the bronchoscopy and append modifier -59. Can you please confirm if this is accurate?
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