Whether or not you will still need to have mammograms after a bilateral mastectomy will depend on the amount of breast tissue left behind. If you had a bilateral mastectomy, you most likely will not need further mammograms, since all of the breast tissue has been removed, even if you had breast reconstruction surgery.
When both breasts are removed, it is called a double (or bilateral) mastectomy. Double mastectomy is done as a risk-reducing surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation. Most of these mastectomies are simple mastectomies, but some may be nipple-sparing.
When is bilateral mastectomy recommended? Having both breasts removed is recommended for women at very high risk of breast cancer. For example, those who have tested positive for a breast cancer (BRCA) gene change are at very high risk. These high-risk women often have their breasts removed before they get breast cancer.
katarina777 When there is a recurrence of cancer after mastectomy, usually this happens in the first 3-5 years after surgery, lumps are more often than not found under or close to the Mastectomy scar. When there are several smaller ones, this may be a sign of skin mets. It starts with one, and then another and another and another.
ICD-10 code Z90. 13 for Acquired absence of bilateral breasts and nipples is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Factors influencing health status and contact with health services .
Excision of Bilateral Breast, Open Approach ICD-10-PCS 0HBV0ZZ is a specific/billable code that can be used to indicate a procedure.
When both breasts are removed, it is called a double (or bilateral) mastectomy. Double mastectomy is sometimes done as a risk-reducing (or preventive) surgery for women at very high risk for getting breast cancer, such as those with a BRCA gene mutation.
Report code 19303, Mastectomy, simple, complete, for the mastectomy.
ICD-10-PCS will be the official system of assigning codes to procedures associated with hospital utilization in the United States. ICD-10-PCS codes will support data collection, payment and electronic health records. ICD-10-PCS is a medical classification coding system for procedural codes.
When is bilateral mastectomy recommended? Having both breasts removed is recommended for women at very high risk of breast cancer. For example, those who have tested positive for a breast cancer (BRCA) gene change are at very high risk.
For example, if you are billing for a bilateral mastectomy, you would report CPT code 19303 (Mastectomy, simple, complete) with the modifier.
Mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast, either a part or the whole breast. A double mastectomy, or bilateral mastectomy, removes both breasts. Following breast removal, a surgeon may perform breast reconstruction surgery. Learn more about mastectomy, including what to expect during recovery.
A simple mastectomy (left) removes the breast tissue, nipple, areola and skin but not all the lymph nodes. A modified radical mastectomy (right) removes the entire breast — including the breast tissue, skin, areola and nipple — and most of the underarm (axillary) lymph nodes.
To summarize, report code 19303 for a skin-sparing or nipple-sparing mastectomy for diagnosed carcinoma or for patients who are at high risk for carcinoma, regardless of the amount of skin removed or whether the nipple is preserved.
Modifier 50Modifier 50 applies to bilateral procedures performed on both sides of the body during the same operative session. When a procedure is identified by the terminology as bilateral or unilateral, the 50 modifier is not reported.
(a) Bilateral surgeries are procedures performed on both sides of the body during the same operative session or on the same day.
The code for this type of more involved mastectomy is 19305 .
Radical mastectomy. For female patients, partial mastectomy involves excising the mass from the breast, taking along with it a margin of healthy tissue. The title of the procedure will be important when determining the physician’s intention for the procedure.
During a subcutaneous mastectomy (19304), the surgeon dissects the breast away from the pectoral fascia and skin. As with the simple complete mastectomy, the surgeon removes all of the breast tissue, but spares the skin and pectoral fascia. The documentation should clearly illustrate the more complex nature of this procedure.
Three additional reconstruction procedures include transferring skin from another part of the patient’s body to the breast area. The latissimus dorsi flap (19361) describes a procedure during which muscle and skin are taken from the patient’s back and used to reconstruct a breast.
Breast implants are, perhaps, the most well-known reconstruction methods. These can be done during the same surgical session as the mastectomy (19340) or at a later time (19342). If reconstruction is delayed, the surgeon may perform a tissue expansion (19357).
As with any surgery, there are risks to the reconstruction procedures, including the potential removal of the implanted prosthetic if a complication occurs. The size of the breast and the defect may also be factors in deciding which reconstruction method is best for the patient.
While some excisions may be performed for benign conditions, most mastectomies are performed for malignancy. About two-thirds of breast cancers require estrogen to thrive, and can therefore be managed with estrogen-blocking drugs. These drugs reduce the chance of the cancer recurring and improve survival rates.
Because nipple tattooing is calculated based on the total size of the areas, this is coded as 11921 and 11922. Because many payers reimburse breast reconstruction services only in relation to breast cancer, it’s prudent for providers to document current or past history of breast cancer in the operative report.
CPT code 11970 alone does not account for this additional work, which is over and above removal of an expander and replacement with a permanent implant. The provider should document if the capsule was particularly thick or tight to support the extra effort involved for billing the higher service.
Coding breast reconstruction can be difficult, but knowing procedures and diagnoses helps. Breast cancer is responsible for the death of one in every 36 women in the United States. Women who undergo a mastectomy to remove malignant tissue are faced with an array of reconstructive options, including flaps and implants.