Problem
• A patient diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphocytic leukemia was admitted for antineoplastic chemotherapy. A lumbar puncture was performed in the L4-5 interspace using a spinal needle returning clear fluid. Intrathecal methotrexate was instilled followed by saline. Is the lumbar puncture assigned a separate code when done with intrathecal chemotherapy?
• A patient comes into a physician practice for a cataract evaluation. The physician determines that the patient has bilateral age-related nuclear cataracts and schedules the patient for surgery at an outpatient facility. The plan is to operate on one eye at a time with the right eye being operated on first. How should the physician practice and the outpatient facility code this case, since only one eye will be treated? Should the condition be reported as bilateral or do we "break apart" the code based on the eye that is to be operated on first?