Ablation

[Alicia Scott]

The uterine ablation is one that is being seen more often. As a coder if you are not familiar with a procedure that could be done in your physicians office study up on it. Can you find the code for a Uterine Ablation?

 

[Karen Fan]

You mention Uterine ablation, that would be the destruction of the Uterus. What I had done, and what the video talks about is endometrial ablation. If they could actually ablate the uterus this way it would cause a drastic reduction in hysterectomies being done to women, and alot of pain for recovery as well. My ablation had no pain in recovery at all.

Karen Fan

 

[Alicia Scott]

You are correct. This would save a lot of hysterectomies.

 

[Carolyn Heath]

Alicia, I think that I found the code. It looks like that it may be 58353.

 

[Alicia Scott]

There is more than one type of ablation. Do you know what they are?

 

[Carolyn Heath]

It looks like that I may need a refresher on this one. Another good topic for a webinar. I will take another crack on this, so here goes: there are two codes for uterine or endometrial ablation. 58353 is for the endometrial ablation and is thermal. 58356 is for the endometrial cryoablation and is frozen. 58353 has no guidance of any kind, but 58356 has guidance using ultrasound.

 

[Alicia Scott]

You are doing great! The two ablations that I am familiar with are with water or lazer. Both are dealing with heat. Scalding is the goal not burning. After doing some study I found out this is not a procedure to have done if you are still wanting to have children. It does not prevent pregnancy but I believe it can cause miscarriages.