PRE-PROCEDURAL NOTE PATIENT: Carter, Clara
AGE: 46
DATE: 04/10/2014
PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Primary Malignancy, Thyroid
PROCEDURE PLANNED: Thyroidectomy
Patient is being treated unsuccessfully for primary malignancy of the thyroid and has elected to have a subtotal removal of the left thyroid. The physician will perform a partial thyroid lobectomy without isthmusectomy. How should the physician code for the procedure?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The physician should code for this service with CPT code 60210 (Partial Thyroid Lobectomy, Unilateral; With or Without Isthmusectomy). Modifier -LT should be appended to indicate that the procedure was performed on the left side. Modifier -50 would not be used because it indicates that a bilateral service was performed not a unilateral service.