How To Use CPT Code 30465

CPT 30465 refers to the repair of nasal vestibular stenosis, a procedure that addresses breathing problems caused by congenital defects, trauma, or previous surgery. This article will cover the description, procedure, qualifying circumstances, appropriate usage, documentation requirements, billing guidelines, historical information, similar codes, and examples of CPT 30465.

1. What is CPT 30465?

CPT 30465 is a medical procedure code used to describe the repair of nasal vestibular stenosis. Nasal vestibular stenosis is a condition that can cause breathing problems due to congenital defects, trauma, or previous surgery. The repair procedure involves various surgical techniques to address the issue and restore proper nasal function.

2. 30465 CPT code description

The official description of CPT code 30465 is: “Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis (eg, spreader grafting, lateral nasal wall reconstruction)”.

3. Procedure

The 30465 procedure involves the following steps:

1. The physician makes an incision in the skin and the upper lateral cartilage of the nose.
2. Scar tissue is excised, and an osteotomy of the medial aspect of the nasal bone is performed.
3. A composite graft is harvested from the auricle and fitted into the area of the defect.
4. The incision is closed for healing.

Depending on the patient’s condition, other surgical techniques may be used, such as relocation and excision of redundant tissue, resection of scar tissue and replacement with a full-thickness skin graft, replacement with local flaps, or transplant of free cartilage, skin, or graft.

4. Qualifying circumstances

Patients eligible to receive CPT code 30465 services are those experiencing breathing problems due to nasal vestibular stenosis caused by congenital defects, trauma, or previous surgery. The physician will determine the appropriate surgical technique based on the patient’s specific condition and needs.

5. When to use CPT code 30465

CPT code 30465 should be used when a patient requires repair of nasal vestibular stenosis to address breathing problems caused by congenital defects, trauma, or previous surgery. The code is used to bill for the surgical procedure and any related services provided by the physician.

6. Documentation requirements

To support a claim for CPT 30465, the following information should be documented:

• Patient’s medical history, including any congenital defects, trauma, or previous surgery related to nasal vestibular stenosis.
• Physical examination findings, including the severity of the patient’s breathing problems and any visible nasal deformities.
• Diagnostic tests, such as imaging studies, to confirm the diagnosis of nasal vestibular stenosis.
• Details of the surgical procedure performed, including the specific techniques used and any complications encountered.
• Postoperative care instructions and follow-up appointments.

7. Billing guidelines

When billing for CPT code 30465, keep in mind the following guidelines and rules:

• Do not report CPT 30465 in conjunction with CPT 30468 or CPT 30469 when performed on the ipsilateral side.
• CPT 30465 excludes obtaining grafts. For graft procedures, see CPT codes 15769, 20900, 20902, 20910, 20912, 20920, 20922, 20924, 21210, and 21235.
• For repair of nasal vestibular lateral wall collapse with subcutaneous/submucosal lateral wall implant(s), use CPT 30468.
• For repair of nasal valve collapse with low energy, temperature-controlled (i.e., radiofrequency) subcutaneous/submucosal remodeling, use CPT 30469.
• CPT 30465 is used to report a bilateral procedure. For a unilateral procedure, use modifier 52.

8. Historical information

CPT 30465 was added to the Current Procedural Terminology system on January 1, 2001. There have been no updates to the code since its addition.

9. Similar codes to CPT 30465

Five similar codes to CPT 30465 and how they differ are:

• CPT 30468: This code is used for repair of nasal vestibular lateral wall collapse with subcutaneous/submucosal lateral wall implant(s), which is a different procedure than CPT 30465.
• CPT 30469: This code is used for repair of nasal valve collapse with low energy, temperature-controlled (i.e., radiofrequency) subcutaneous/submucosal remodeling, which is a different procedure than CPT 30465.
• CPT 15769: This code is used for graft procedures, which are excluded from CPT 30465.
• CPT 20900: This code is also used for graft procedures, which are excluded from CPT 30465.
• CPT 21210: This code is used for graft procedures involving the nasal bones, which are excluded from CPT 30465.

10. Examples

Here are 10 detailed examples of CPT code 30465 procedures:

1. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis due to a congenital defect, using spreader grafting and lateral nasal wall reconstruction.
2. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis caused by trauma, using relocation and excision of redundant tissue.
3. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis resulting from previous surgery, using resection of scar tissue and replacement with a full-thickness skin graft.
4. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis with a composite graft harvested from the auricle and fitted into the area of the defect.
5. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis using an osteotomy of the medial aspect of the nasal bone.
6. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis with replacement of scar tissue using local flaps.
7. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis with transplant of free cartilage.
8. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis with transplant of free skin.
9. Repair of nasal vestibular stenosis with transplant of a graft.
10. Bilateral repair of nasal vestibular stenosis using a combination of surgical techniques, such as spreader grafting, lateral nasal wall reconstruction, and relocation and excision of redundant tissue.