CPC Exam Dumps : Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Exam

In medical terminology,“-graph”refers to aninstrument used to record(or produce a record), while“-gram”refers to therecord/image produced, and“-graphy”refers to theprocess of recording. This set is frequently tested because the terms look similar. Example: anelectrocardiographis the instrument; anelectrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)is the tracing produced;electrocardiographyis the act of recording. The distractors are surgical suffixes:“-desis”typically indicates surgical binding/fusion, and“-rrhaphy”indicates surgical repair by suture. “Z-plasty” is a plastic surgery technique; “instrument used for Z-plasty” is not a standard suffix definition. For CPC-style questions, the safest approach is to memorize the trio:graph (instrument)/gram (record)/graphy (process). That pattern also helps with radiology terms (mammogram, angiography) and diagnostic testing vocabulary.

1. Procedure and CPT® Code Selection:

The procedure involves a tympanoplasty with a radical mastoidectomy to remove a cholesteatoma in the middle ear. Additionally, the procedure includes ossicular chain reconstruction and grafting to repair the eardrum.

CPT® Code 69646 is appropriate for tympanoplasty with a radical mastoidectomy, including removal of the cholesteatoma and ossicular chain reconstruction. This code accurately describes the combination of tympanoplasty, radical mastoidectomy, and ossicular chain reconstruction, making it the correct choice.

2. Rationale for Excluding Other Options:

Code 69643 describes a tympanoplasty with a simple mastoidectomy, which is not appropriate since a radical mastoidectomy was performed.

Code 69645 covers a tympanoplasty with radical mastoidectomy but does not include ossicular chain reconstruction, which was part of this procedure.

Code 69641 is for a tympanoplasty without mastoidectomy, making it incorrect for this case.

3. AAPC and CPT® Coding Guidelines:

According to AAPC and CPT® guidelines, 69646 is the appropriate code when a tympanoplasty includes a radical mastoidectomy with ossicular chain reconstruction, as documented in this case.

Therefore, the correct answer based on CPT® guidelines is D. 69646.

Basal cell carcinoma is amalignantskin neoplasm, so the excision is coded from11600–11646(malignant lesion excision), not11400–11446(benign lesion excision). The scalp is in the anatomic group that includesscalp/neck/hands/feet/genitalia, and the excised diameterincluding marginsdetermines the malignant excision code range. A size of3.7 cmfalls into the3.1–4.0 cmcategory, which corresponds to11624for malignant excision in that location group. Closure is separately reportable when it is anintermediate (layered) repair, so you add12032(intermediate repair, scalp/axillae/trunk/extremities;2.6–7.5 cm) when documentation supports layered closure beyond simple repair. Diagnosis coding should reflectbasal cell carcinoma of scalp/neck, which isC44.41. Options that use benign excision or benign diagnosis codes are incorrect for basal cell carcinoma.