Question: A physician
in another city placed a laparoscopic jejunostomy tube one month ago. A
second physician, locally, attempted to remove the feeding tube in his
office, but it broke off. Our surgeon then attempted to remove the
broken portion in the office, he but failed and had to schedule a trip
to the operating room. My surgeon has suggested 43760 for this. Is this
correct?
Florida Subscriber
Answer: Code 43760 (Change of gastrostomy tube, percutaneous, without imaging or endoscopic guidance: APC 0121) describes removal and
replacement of a gastrostomy tube, which has not occurred in this case.
Rather, your surgeon only removed a portion of the feeding tube.
CPT does not
contain a specific code to describe removal only of a feeding tube.
Generally, the physician would include the tube removal in any E/M
service he provides at the same time. In this case, however, you might
argue that 43760 with modifier 52 (Reduced service) is appropriate.
Assuming that
he removed the broken portion of the feeding tube endoscopically, your
best bet in this case is more likely a code for foreign-body removal,
such as 43215 (Esophagoscopy, rigid or flexible; with removal of foreign body: APC 0141).
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