© Copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
The procedure described by CPT® Code 77789 involves the surface application of a low dose rate radionuclide source, which is a therapeutic technique utilizing radioactive materials. This method is specifically designed to treat certain types of cancers that are localized to the skin or the eye, including non-melanomatous skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, as well as inflammatory breast cancer and uveal melanoma, which is a form of eye cancer. During the procedure, a specialized applicator is created to match the contours of the skin or the eye at the targeted treatment site. This ensures that the radionuclide source is in close proximity to the area requiring treatment, maximizing the effectiveness of the radiation therapy. The radionuclide source is then carefully loaded into the applicator and applied to the affected area for a predetermined duration, allowing for the delivery of targeted radiation to the cancerous cells while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
© Copyright 2025 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
The surface application of a low dose rate radionuclide source is indicated for the treatment of specific types of cancers that are localized to the skin or eye. The following conditions are explicitly mentioned as suitable for this procedure:
The procedure for the surface application of a low dose rate radionuclide source involves several critical steps to ensure effective treatment. Each step is designed to facilitate the precise delivery of radiation to the targeted area while maintaining safety and efficacy.
Post-procedure care following the application of a low dose rate radionuclide source is essential for ensuring patient safety and monitoring treatment effectiveness. Patients may be advised to avoid direct sunlight on the treated area and to follow specific care instructions provided by their healthcare provider. Monitoring for any adverse reactions or complications is also important, and follow-up appointments may be scheduled to assess the treatment's effectiveness and to determine if additional interventions are necessary. The expected recovery process will vary depending on the individual patient and the extent of the treatment, but patients should be informed about what to expect during their recovery period.
| Short Descr | APPLY SURF LDR RADIONUCLIDE | Medium Descr | SURFACE APPLIC LOW DOSE RATE RADIONUCLIDE SOURCE | Long Descr | Surface application of low dose rate radionuclide source | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | 000 - Endoscopic or Minor Procedure | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | ASC Payment Indicator | Radiology service paid separately when provided integral to a surgical procedure on ASC list; payment based on OPPS relative payment weight. | Type of Service (TOS) | 6 - Therapeutic Radiology | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | P7A - Oncology - radiation therapy | MUE | 2 | CCS Clinical Classification | 211 - Therapeutic radiology |
| 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | TC | Technical component; under certain circumstances, a charge may be made for the technical component alone; under those circumstances the technical component charge is identified by adding modifier 'tc' to the usual procedure number; technical component charges are institutional charges and not billed separately by physicians; however, portable x-ray suppliers only bill for technical component and should utilize modifier tc; the charge data from portable x-ray suppliers will then be used to build customary and prevailing profiles |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2016-01-01 | Changed | Description Changed |
| 2001-01-01 | Changed | Code description changed. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.