Coding a Hand Assisted Laparoscopy

Question:

The surgeon described the procedure as a ‘hand assisted laparoscopy”  He brought part of the bowel outside of the body for evaluation.  Does this convert the procedure to open?

Answer:

Mobilizing the bowel outside the body (extracorporeally) during a laparoscopic procedure does not convert the procedure to open,  it is still consider a laparoscopic procedure and coded as laparoscopic.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 9/3/20.