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A PATIENT HAD SURGERY 2 WEEKS AGO TO REPAIR A DISLOCATED ANLE AND RETURNS TODAY TO HAVE FLEXOR TENDON IN THE HAND REPAIRED, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING MODIFIERS SHOULD BE REPORTED FOR TODAYS SERVICE

A-79
B-78
C-58
D-51

User Artemis
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct modifier for today's service of repairing a flexor tendon in the hand, following an unrelated surgery two weeks before, is modifier 58. This is for a staged or related procedure by the same physician during the postoperative period.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the correct coding modifier that should be used when billing for a medical procedure performed on a patient who had a previous surgery two weeks ago. In the field of medical coding, a 'modifier' is used to indicate that a service or procedure performed has been altered by some specific circumstance, but not changed in its definition or code. The correct modifier for the patient's current service of having a flexor tendon in the hand repaired, following a recent unrelated surgery, is '58'. Modifier 58 is used for a staged or related procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period.

User Ibid
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