Two Surgeons, Same Practice, Co-Surgery?
Question:
I have a case where two surgeons from the same practice are reconstructing the abdominal wall following tumor resection. They each perform their own side of the component separation, surgeon A on the right and surgeon B on the left. Each surgeon dictated their own op-notes for the side they performed, and now they want to bill as co-surgeons. I’m unsure if this is appropriate, so I seek KZA’s advice.
Answer:
Great question! While your surgeons each dictated their operative notes, this alone does not support co-surgery, modifier 62. Co-surgery from a surgeon's perspective is different from a coding perspective.
From a coding perspective, co-surgery involves two surgeons, typically of different specialties, with different skill sets, each performing separate portions (s) or parts of a procedure as defined by a CPT code. Each surgeon would dictate their own operative note detailing their portions of the procedure performed. Again, this typically involves surgeons from different specialties, not two surgeons of the same specialty.
In the scenario above, two plastic surgeons perform one side of this bilateral component separation.
They should each be reporting their own CPT code,15734.
Surgeon A: 15734
Surgeon B: 15734 -XP
*Modifiers as directed by your payor. CPT code 15734 does not allow for RT/LT.
*This response is based on the best information available as of 11/14/24.
