Q: How do you code BCG followed by a TURB for bladder cancer?
A: Per FORDS bladder surgery codes: If immunotherapy is followed by surgery of the type coded 20-80 code that surgery instead and code the immunotherapy only as immunotherapy. Surgery code = 27 and immunotherapy code = 01
Q: A breast cancer patient has a sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by a separate axillary dissection of four lymph nodes three days later. What codes are assigned for each “scope of regional lymph node surgery”?
A: First procedure = code 2 for sentinel lymph node biopsy as stated on the operative report
Second procedure = code 7 for sentinel lymph node biopsy and code 5 (4 or more regional lymph nodes removed) at different times. Per FORDS instructions for coding, if two or more surgical procedures of regional lymph nodes are performed, the codes entered in the registry for each subsequent procedure must include the “cumulative” effect of all preceding procedures.