A surgeon performed a modified radical mastectomy in a patient with a bilateral breast biopsy. What code(s) should be reported?

In coding for the procedures performed by the surgeon, it's essential to accurately represent both the modified radical mastectomy and the bilateral breast biopsy. For a modified radical mastectomy, the appropriate code is 19307, which describes excision of breast tissue, including the resection of underlying tissue. The "-RT" designation indicates that the procedure was performed on the right side (right breast).

The bilateral breast biopsy is coded using 19120, which represents the excision of breast tissue for biopsy purposes. The "-51" modifier denotes that this is a secondary procedure, while the "-LT" indicates that it was performed on the left breast.

In this context, the combination of codes 19307-RT for the right side modified radical mastectomy and 19120-51-LT for the left breast biopsy accurately describes the surgical interventions that were carried out, aligning with coding conventions for bilateral procedures.

This understanding reflects the importance of choosing the correct codes related to the procedures' specifics and side designations, ensuring the proper representation of the services provided to the patient.