During a hospital outpatient endoscopy session, a planned diagnostic endoscopy progresses to a therapeutic endoscopic procedure in the same session. Which reporting concept should the coder apply?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Same scope, same sitting: once the team moves from look-and-see to treat, the therapeutic procedure is the star. You don't pretend only the diagnostic happened, and you don't ignore how same-session endoscopy reporting works.
Full Explanation
When a diagnostic endoscopic procedure becomes therapeutic during the same session, coding conventions and NCCI-related concepts generally emphasize reporting the therapeutic endoscopy rather than separately emphasizing a purely diagnostic endoscopy. Omitting the therapeutic service, blindly stacking both without edit awareness, or voiding the encounter are incorrect responses to a completed therapeutic endoscopic intervention.