Acquired buried penis: an observational study characterizing the variability in procedural codes reported during...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Coding
• Medical Billing

Background:

• Adult acquired buried penis (ABP) is a complex condition requiring multi-step surgical intervention.
• There is a lack of established consensus regarding the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for surgical procedures addressing ABP.
• This ambiguity contributes to variability in medical billing and reporting for ABP surgeries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and characterize the diversity of CPT codes utilized in surgical procedures for ABP.
• To investigate the extent of variability in CPT code reporting for ABP surgeries.
• To identify patterns and discrepancies in surgical coding for this condition.

Main Methods:

• Data was extracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database (2007-2020).
• Adult patients undergoing surgical treatment for ABP were identified.
• CPT codes were categorized by anatomical area (penile, scrotal, pannus, urethral, tissue transfers, skin grafts) and analyzed for frequency and variability.

Main Results:

• The study included 146 patients with a total of 413 CPT codes reported, encompassing 82 unique codes.
• An average of 2.8 CPT codes per patient were reported, with significant variation across different anatomical categories.
• Marked variability was observed in the utilization of individual CPT codes, with some reported infrequently and others extensively.

Conclusions:

• Significant variability exists in the CPT codes reported for adult acquired buried penis (ABP) surgeries.
• This variability underscores the need for consensus among stakeholder organizations to standardize CPT code utilization for ABP.
• Standardized coding practices are essential for accurate data collection and consistent reporting of ABP surgical procedures.