AAPC Exam CPC Topic 4 Question 46 Discussion

Actual exam question for AAPC's CPC exam

Question #: 46
Topic #: 4

[All CPC Questions]

A cardiologist attempted to perform a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of a totally occluded blood vessel. The surgeon stopped the procedure because of an anatomical problem creating risk for the patient and preventing performance of the catheterization.

What modifier is appended to the procedure code?

A52

B53

C54

D76

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B

Modifier 53 is used to report a discontinued procedure. It indicates that a procedure was started but terminated due to the patient's well-being being at risk. In this scenario, the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was attempted but stopped because of an anatomical problem that created a risk for the patient, preventing the completion of the procedure. Reference: AMA's CPT Professional Edition, coding guidelines on the use of modifiers.

by Nikita at Apr 08, 2025, 12:26 PM

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Moon

1 months ago

Ha, I bet the cardiologist was like, 'Nope, nope, nope, not doing that!' When they had to stop the procedure. B) 53 all the way, folks.

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Ryan

1 months ago

Hmm, this is a tricky one. I'm going to go with B) 53. It just seems like the most logical choice given the scenario.

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Tawna

13 days ago

I think it might be C) 54. That modifier is usually used for surgical care that is discontinued due to extenuating circumstances.

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Britt

1 months ago

Definitely B) 53. The surgeon had to stop the procedure because of a risk to the patient, and that's exactly when you use the 53 modifier.

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Lyda

16 days ago

I agree, the 53 modifier is used when a procedure is discontinued due to extenuating circumstances.

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Rodrigo

1 months ago

That makes sense, but I still think it's modifier 53 since the surgeon stopped the procedure due to an anatomical problem.

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Glennis

1 months ago

I disagree, I believe it should be modifier 52 because the procedure was partially completed.

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Craig

2 months ago

I think the correct answer is B) 53. The procedure was stopped due to an anatomical problem, and that's what the 53 modifier is used for.

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France

22 days ago

No, the correct answer is B) 53. The 53 modifier is specifically for procedures that are discontinued due to an anatomical problem.

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Alberto

26 days ago

I think it's actually the 76 modifier that should be appended to the procedure code.

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Kati

1 months ago

I agree, the 53 modifier is used when a procedure is discontinued due to extenuating circumstances.

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Rodrigo

2 months ago

I think the modifier appended to the procedure code is 53.

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