Ask Dr. Z

Ask Dr. Z Knowledge Base houses over 7,500 coding questions and answers dating back to 2013.

Ask Dr. Z Disclaimer

Please note this question was answered in 2012. The coding advice may or may not be outdated.

Sphincteroplasty and biliary stone extraction 47999

Date: Aug 14, 2012

Question:

I have a question about a biliary procedure. When the physician uses a balloon to dilate the ampulla to allow passage of the stone into the duodenum, are the stone removal codes 47630 and 74327 used in addition to 47999 and 74363 for the dilation? There was no stricture, it was only dilated to allow the stone to be pushed through. I wasn't sure if the stone passage was included in 47999 or not since it wasn't actually "removed" with a basket or other device. Thanks.
Question ID : 4010
Sign up for a membership to view the answer to this question.

Need to ask Dr.Z?

Don't see the answer you're looking for in the knowledge base? No problem. You can ask Dr. Z directly!
Ask Dr. Z a question now!