AAPC CPC Exam Questions Simulate Actual CPC Exam

1. View MR 004397

MR 004397

Operative Report

Preoperative Diagnosis: Calculi of the gallbladder

Postoperative Diagnosis: Calculi of the gallbladder, chronic cholecystitis

Procedure: Cholecystectomy

Indications: The patient is a 50-year-old woman who has a history of RUQ pain, which ultrasound revealed to be multiple gallstones. She presents for removal of her gallbladder.

Procedure: The patient was brought to the OR and prepped and draped in a normal sterile fashion. After adequate general endotracheal anesthesia was obtained, a trocar was placed and C02 was insufflated into the abdomen until an adequate pneumoperitoneum was achieved. A laparoscope was placed at the umbilicus and the gallbladder and liver bed were visualized. The gallbladder was enlarged and thickened, and there was evidence of chronic inflammatory changes. Two additional ports were placed and graspers were used to free the gallbladder from the liver bed with a combination of sharp dissection and electrocautery. Cystic artery and duct are clipped. Dye is injected in the gallbladder. Cholangiography revealed no intraluminal defect or obstruction. Gallbladder is dissected from the liver bed. The scope and trocars are removed.

What CPT® coding is reported for this case?

2. A 65-year-old gentleman presents for refill of medications and follow-up for his chronic conditions. The patient indicates good medicine compliance. No new symptoms or complaints.

Appropriate history and exam are obtained. Labs that were ordered from previous visit were reviewed and discussed with patient. The following are the diagnoses and treatment:

Hypokalemia - stable. Refill Potassium 20 MEQ

Hypertension - blood pressure remaining stable. Patient states home readings have been in line with goals. Refill prescription Lisinopril.

Esophageal Reflux - Patient denies any new symptoms. Stable condition. Continue taking over the counter Prevacid oral capsules, 1 every day.

Patient is instructed to follow up in 3 months. Labs will be obtained prior to visit.

What CPT® code is reported?

3. A 49-year-old patient arrives with hearing loss in his left ear. Impedance testing via tympanometry is performed.

What CPT® code is reported?

4. A 60-year-old male has three-vessel disease and supraventricular tachycardia which has been refractory to other management. He previously had pacemaker placement and stenting of LAD coronary artery stenosis, which has failed to solve the problem. He will undergo CABG with autologous saphenous vein and an extensive modified MAZE procedure to treat the tachycardia.

He is brought to the cardiac OR and placed in the supine position on the OR table. He is prepped and draped, and adequate endotracheal anesthesia is assured. A median sternotomy incision is made and cardiopulmonary bypass is initiated. The endoscope is used to harvest an adequate length of saphenous vein from his left leg. This is uneventful and bleeding is easily controlled. The vein graft is prepared and cut to the appropriate lengths for anastomosis. Two bypasses are performed: one to the circumflex and another to the obtuse marginal. The left internal mammary is then freed up and it is anastomosed to the ramus, the first diagonal, and the LAD. An extensive maze procedure is then performed and the patient is weaned from bypass. At this point, the sternum is closed with wires and the skin is reapproximated with staples. The patient tolerated the procedure without difficulty and was taken to the PACU.

Choose the procedure codes for this surgery.

5. Patient has esotropia of the right eye and presents to operating suite for strabismus surgery. The physician resects the medial rectus horizontal and lateral rectus muscles of the eye and secures them with adjustable sutures. Extensive scar tissue is noted, due to a previous surgery involving an extraocular muscle. Extraocular muscle is isolated, and the muscle is freed from surrounding scar tissues.

What CPT® codes are reported for this surgery?

6. View MR 001394

MR 001394

Operative Report

Procedure: Excision of 11 cm back lesion with rotation flap repair.

Preoperative Diagnosis: Basal cell carcinoma

Postoperative Diagnosis: Same

Anesthesia: 1% Xylocaine solution with epinephrine warmed and buffered and injected slowly through a 30-gauge needle for the patient's comfort.

Location: Back

Size of Excision: 11 cm

Estimated Blood Loss: Minimal

Complications: None

Specimen: Sent to the lab in saline for frozen section margin control.

Procedure: The patient was taken to our surgical suite, placed in a comfortable position, prepped and draped, and locally anesthetized in the usual sterile fashion. A #15 scalpel blade was used to excise the basal cell carcinoma plus a margin of normal skin in a circular fashion in the natural relaxed skin tension lines as much as possible The lesion was removed full thickness including epidermis, dermis, and partial thickness subcutaneous tissues. The wound was then spot electro desiccated for hemorrhage control. The specimen was sent to the lab on saline for frozen section.

Rotation flap repair of defect created by foil thickness frozen section excision of basal cell carcinoma of the back. We were able to devise a 12 sq cm flap and advance it using rotation flap closure technique. This will prevent infection, dehiscence, and help reconstruct the area to approximate the situation as it was prior to surgical excision diminishing the risk of significant pain and distortion of the anatomy in the area. This was advanced medially to close the defect with 5 0 Vicryl and 6-0 Prolene stitches.

What CPT® coding is reported for this case?

7. The procedure is performed at an outpatient radiology department. From a left femoral access, the catheter is placed in the abdominal aorta and is then selectively placed in the celiac trunk and manipulated up into the common hepatic artery for an abdominal angiography. Dye is injected, and imaging is obtained. The provider performs the supervision and interpretation.

What CPT® codes are reported?

8. A witness of a traffic accident called 911. An ambulance with emergency basic life support arrived at the scene of the accident. The injured party was stabilized and taken to the hospital.

What HCPCS Level II coding is reported for the ambulance's service?

9. When a patient has ESRD, which system is affected?

10. Which entity offers compliance program guidance to form the basis of a voluntary compliance program for a provider practice?

11. Which one of the following is an example of a case in which a diabetes-related problem exists and the code for diabetes is never sequenced first?

12. A patient complains of tarry, black stool, and epigastric tightness. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy is recommended to evaluate the source of the bleeding. The endoscope is inserted orally. The esophagus appears normal on scope insertion. No evidence of bleeding in the stomach. The scope is then passed into the duodenum, where a polyp is found and removed with hot biopsy forceps. No evidence of bleeding post procedure.

What CPT® code is reported?

13. Patient is diagnosed with dacryocystitis, which is the inflammation of?

14. A Medicare patient that is on dialysis for ESRD is seen by the nurse for a Hep B vaccination. This patient is given a dialysis patient dosage as part of a three-dose schedule. The nurse administers the

Hep B vaccine in the right deltoid. The physician reviews the chart and signs off on the nurse's note.

What procedure and diagnosis codes are reported for the scheduled vaccine injection for this

Medicare patient?

15. A 6-French sheath and catheter is placed into the coronary artery and is advanced to the left side of the heart into the ventricle. Ventriculography is performed using power injection of contrast agent. Pressures in the left heart are obtained. The coronary arteries are also selected and imaged.

What CPT® code is reported?

16. An established patient suffering from migraines without aura, no mention of intractable migraine, and no mention of status migrainosus, is seen by his ophthalmologist who conducts a visual field examination of both eyes. The examination was accomplished plotting four isopters utilizing the Goldmann perimeter testing method. The patient and requesting physician receive the interpretation and report on the same date of service.

What procedure and diagnosis codes are reported for this encounter?

17. Patient has cervical spondylosis with myelopathy. The surgeon performed a bilateral posterior laminectomy with facetectomies at each level and foraminotomies performed between interspaces C5-C6 and C6-C7. Bilateral decompression of the nerve roots is achieved.

What CPT® coding is reported?

18. View MR 005398

MR 005398

Operative Report

Preoperative Diagnosis: Nonfunctioning right kidney with ureteral stricture.

Postoperative Diagnosis: Nonfunctioning right kidney with ureteral stricture.

Procedure: Right nephrectomy with partial ureterectomy.

Findings and Procedure: Under satisfactory general anesthesia, the patient was placed in the right flank position. Right flank and abdomen were prepared and draped out of the sterile field. Skin incision was made between the 11th and 12th ribs laterally. The incision was carried down through the underlying subcutaneous tissues, muscles, and fascia. The right retroperitoneal space was entered. Using blunt and sharp dissection, the right kidney was freed circumferentially. The right artery, vein, and ureter were identified. The ureter was dissected downward where it is completely obstructed in its distal extent. The ureter was clipped and divided distally. The right renal artery was then isolated and divided between 0 silk suture ligatures. The right renal vein was also ligated with suture ligatures and 0 silk ties. The right kidney and ureter were then submitted for pathologic evaluation. The operative field was inspected, and there was no residual bleeding noted, and then it was carefully irrigated with sterile water. Wound closure was then undertaken using 0 Vicryl for the fascial layers, 0 Vicryl for the muscular layers, 2-0 chromic for subcutaneous tissue, and clips for the skin. A Penrose drain was brought out through the dependent aspect of the incision. The patient lost minimal blood and tolerated the procedure well.

What CPT® coding is reported for this case?

19. A 25-year-old woman underwent percutaneous breast biopsy on the right breast with placement of a Gelmark clip. The procedure was performed using stereotactic imaging.

What CPT® codes will be reported?

20. View MR 002395

MR 002395

Operative Report

Pre-operative Diagnosis: Acute rotator cuff tear

Post-operative Diagnosis: Acute rotator cuff tear, synovitis

Procedures:

1) Rotator cuff repair

2) Biceps Tenodesis

3) Claviculectomy

4) Coracoacromial ligament release

Indication: Rotator cuff injury of a 32-year-old male, sustained while playing soccer.

Findings: Complete tear of the right rotator cuff, synovitis, impingement.

Procedure: The patient was prepared for surgery and placed in left lateral decubitus position. Standard posterior arthroscopy portals were made followed by an anterior-superior portal. Diagnostic arthroscopy was performed. Significant synovitis was carefully debrided. There was a full-thickness upper 3rd subscapularis tear, which was repaired. The lesser tuberosity was debrided back to bleeding healthy bone and a Mitek 4.5 mm helix anchor was placed in the lesser tuberosity. Sutures were passed through the subcapulans in a combination of horizontal mattress and simple interrupted fashion and then tied. There was a partial-thickness tearing of the long head of the biceps. The biceps were released and then anchored in the intertubercular groove with a screw. There was a large anterior acromial spur with subacromial impingement. A CA ligament was released and acromioplasty was performed. Attention was then directed to the supraspinatus tendon tear. The tear was V-shaped and measured approximately 2.5 cm from anterior to posterior. Two Smith & Nephew PEEK anchors were used for the medial row utilizing Healicoil anchors. Side-to-side stitches were placed. One set of suture tape from each of the medial anchors was then placed through a laterally placed Mitek helix PEEK knotless anchor which was fully inserted after tensioning the tapes. A solid repair was obtained. Next there were severe degenerative changes at the AC joint of approximately 8 to 10 mm. The distal clavicle was resected taking care to preserve the superior AC joint capsule. The shoulder was thoroughly lavaged. The instruments were removed and the incisions were closed in routine fashion. Sterile dressing was applied. The patient was transferred to recovery in stable condition.

What CPT® coding is reported for this case?

21. An incision is made in the scalp, a craniectomy is performed to access the area where electrodes are present. The electrodes are removed. The surgical wound is closed.

What procedure code is reported?

22. A surgeon performs midface LeFort I reconstruction on a patient’s facial bones to correct a congenital deformity. The reconstruction is performed in two pieces in moving the upper jawbone forward and repositioning the teeth of the maxilla of the mid face.

What CPT® code is reported?

23. A 4-year-old, critically ill child is admitted to the PICU from the ED with respiratory failure due to an exacerbation of asthma not manageable in the ER. The PICU provider takes over the care of the patient and starts continuous bronchodilator therapy and pharmacologic support with cardiovascular monitoring and possible mechanical ventilation support.

What is the E/M code for this encounter?

24. A mother brings her 2-year-old son to the pediatrician's office because he stuck a bead up his left nostril. The pediatrician uses a nasal decongestant to open the blocked nostril and removes the bead with nasal forceps.

What CPT® coding is reported?

25. A 42-year-old with chronic left trochanteric bursitis is scheduled to receive an injection at the Pain Clinic. A 22-gauge spinal needle is introduced into the trochanteric bursa under ultrasonic guidance, and a total volume of 8 cc of normal saline and 40 mg of Kenalog was injected.

What CPT® code should be reported for the surgical procedure?

26. Patient has undergone open surgery for a left total knee arthroplasty. While in the recovery room, he continued to have severe postoperative pain. The surgeon ordered a femoral block for postoperative pain. The anesthesiologist evaluated the patient and performed a left femoral block, which provided significant post-operative pain relief.

What CPT® coding is reported?

27. The gynecologist performs a colposcopy of the cervix including biopsy and endocervical curettage.

What CPT® code is reported?

28. View MR 099405

MR 099405

CC: Shortness of breath

HPI: 16-year-old female comes into the ED for shortness of breath for the last two days. She is an asthmatic.

Current medications being used to treat symptoms is Advair, which is not working and breathing is getting worse. Does not feel that Advair has been helping. Patient tried Albuterol for persistent coughing, is not helping. Coughing 10-15 minutes at a time. Patient has used the Albuterol 3x in the last 16 hrs. ED physician admits her to observation status.

ROS: No fever, no headache. No purulent discharge from the eyes. No earache. No nasal discharge or sore throat. No swollen glands in the neck. No palpitations. Dyspnea and cough. Some chest pain. No nausea or vomiting. No abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation. PMH: Asthma

SH: Lives with both parents.

FH: Family hx of asthma, paternal side

ALLERGIES: PCN-200 CAPS. Allergies have been reviewed with child’s family and no changes reported.

PE: General appearance: normal, alert. Talks in sentences. Pink lips and cheeks. Oriented. Well developed. Well nourished. Well hydrated.

Eyes: normal. External eye: no hyperemia of the conjunctiva. No discharge from the conjunctiva

Ears: general/bilateral. TM: normal. Nose: rhinorrhea. Pharynx/Oropharynx: normal. Neck: normal.

Lymph nodes: normal.

Lungs: before Albuterol neb, mode air entry b/l. No rales, rhonchi or wheezes. After Albuterol neb. improvement of air entry b/l. Respiratory movements were normal. No intercostals inspiratory retraction was observed.

Cardiovascular system: normal. Heart rate and rhythm normal. Heart sounds normal. No murmurs were heard.

GI: abdomen normal with no tenderness or masses. Normal bowel sounds. No hepatosplenomegaly

Skin: normal warm and dry. Pink well perfused

Musculoskeletal system patient indicates lower to mid back pain when she lies down on her back and when she rolls over. No CVA tenderness.

Assessment: Asthma, acute exacerbation

Plan: Will keep her in observation overnight. Will administer oral steroids and breathing treatment.

CXR ordered and to be taken in the morning.

What E/M code is reported?

29. The mediastinum is:

30. A 5-year-old is brought to the QuickCare in the ED to repair two lacerations: a 3 cm laceration on her right arm and 2 cm laceration on her nose. Her arm is repaired with a simple one-layer closure with sutures. Her nose is repaired with a simple repair using tissue adhesive, 2-cyanoacrylate.

How are the repairs reported?