For an 86-year-old female with severe CAD and hypertension undergoing radical mastectomy, which code(s) are listed?

Study for the Anesthesia Coding Test. Master your skills with multiple choice questions, each with explanations. Gear up for your exam success!

Multiple Choice

For an 86-year-old female with severe CAD and hypertension undergoing radical mastectomy, which code(s) are listed?

Explanation:
Anesthesia coding combines a base code for the surgical procedure with modifiers that reflect the patient’s condition and special factors. For a radical mastectomy, the base anesthesia code is 00404, which covers procedures on the breast. The patient has severe coronary artery disease and hypertension, indicating severe systemic disease, which is ASA physical status 3. Attaching the ASA modifier -P3 communicates this level of risk. At 86 years old, she also fits the “extreme age” category, so a separate 99100 code is added to account for the increased perioperative risk associated with advanced age. Therefore, listing 00404-P3 and 99100 correctly captures the procedure, the patient’s ASA status, and the age-related risk. Other base codes would correspond to different procedures or sites, or the modifiers like QZ would imply a different supervision situation not indicated here.

Anesthesia coding combines a base code for the surgical procedure with modifiers that reflect the patient’s condition and special factors. For a radical mastectomy, the base anesthesia code is 00404, which covers procedures on the breast. The patient has severe coronary artery disease and hypertension, indicating severe systemic disease, which is ASA physical status 3. Attaching the ASA modifier -P3 communicates this level of risk. At 86 years old, she also fits the “extreme age” category, so a separate 99100 code is added to account for the increased perioperative risk associated with advanced age. Therefore, listing 00404-P3 and 99100 correctly captures the procedure, the patient’s ASA status, and the age-related risk. Other base codes would correspond to different procedures or sites, or the modifiers like QZ would imply a different supervision situation not indicated here.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy