Grab Extra $368 in Ethical Reimbursement to Your Cyst Excision Claims

Mixing up branchial and preauricular cysts can put you in the wrong CPT section.

Unless you comprehend neck and ear anatomy, you could lose precious dollars for your otolaryngology practice. In case your ENT carries out a facial tissue transfer (14040) and you report branchial cleft cyst excision (42810) as an alternative, you’ll lose 10.82 relative value units -- which is $368 of lost revenue. Know if your vocab is up to par by examining the following operative report and also know what CPT codes apply.

Code This Excision

Procedure: Excision of left preauricular first branchial cleft sinus tract in a earlier operated field.

Pre-/postoperative diagnosis(es): Intermittent left preauricular first branchial cleft sinus tract.

Note: This procedure qualifies for modifier 22 as it is a revision surgery in a previously operated field.

Specimens sent to lab: Overlying skin as well as the deep sinus tract.

Indications for surgery: Intermittent left preauricular sinus tract.

Findings in surgery: Scarred preauricular areas from previous excision with no cutaneous fistula and no distinct sinus tract.

Procedure: … An incision was made with the #11 scalpel blade everywhere in the area that the parents had specified most recently drained. This area was above the tragal cartilage region. A portion of the tragal cartilage was transected as the deep plane of the excision. Then, dissection was performed inferiorly and superiorly besides anteriorly to eliminate this portion of the pretragal scar and deep tissue. The depth of the dissection was the parotid gland. It was obvious that there was a huge amount of scar tissue at the anterior excision site, and this was felt to also comprise branchial cleft sinus tissue. Consequently, additional excision of the scar was carried out with the #11 and #15 scalpels, and a huge portion of tissue removed down to and comprising a portion of the superficial aspect of the parotid gland....

Next to the removal of the specimen, a noteworthy defect was present in the preauricular region. The closure of this area needed undermining the facial skin inferior to the oracle and after that anteriorly about one-third to 40 percent of the way to the corner of the mouth and lateral canthus of the eye. After that the tissue advanced and portion of the tissue rotated to allow a closure in a parotidectomy or fascial fashion in the preauricular area with a T-segment going anteriorly at the level of the tragus. Plicating 3-0 chromic sutures were used to reduce the space made vacant by excision of the deep tissue. This closure of the deep space was made potential by advancing the adipose tissue posteriorly and superiorly. Yet again, this tissue was held in place with 3-0 chromic suture.

Check Cleft Type

Recognizing whether the cyst excision was in the neck or ear region evades using a CPT code from an incorrect CPT anatomy section.

Make ceratin that you don’t lump branchial and preauricular cysts. Each is from a different embryological source.

Link Branchial to Neck’s 42810-42815

For branchial cysts, you’ll be in the neck section. Brachial cleft cysts are congenital cysts that arise in the lateral aspect of the neck when the second branchial cleft fails to close during embryonic development. At about the fourth week of embryonic life, four branchial (or pharyngeal) clefts develop between five ridges termed as the branchial (or pharyngeal) arches. These arches and clefts contribute to the development of various structures of the head and neck.

You must use CPT code 42810 (Excision branchial cleft cyst or vestige, confined to skin and subcutaneous tissues) once the branchial cyst is superficial. In case the provider dissects all the way to the tongue base or tonsillar pillars, you must report CPT code 42815 (Excision branchial cleft cyst, vestige, or fistula, extending beneath subcutaneous tissues and/or into pharynx).

Think Ear for Preauricular Cyst

Preauricular cysts come from the six hillocks that form the external ear.

Result: You can’t use CPT code 42810 or 42815 for the above operative report. This is a preauricular sinus track, and you should use 42815 when the cyst is in the neck around the tonsil area.