Interview Question for Surgery Coder
Same Day Surgery (SDS) is one of the most demanding and highly paid specialties in medical coding. This guide covers essential topics and commonly asked questions to help you qualify as an SDS Coder or Auditor.
The questions vary depending on the specialty you code, along with general surgical coding knowledge. If you code multiple specialties, expect questions from various domains.
The Most common topic for Surgery Coder Interview
Basic question (All speciality)
Updates: Latest CPT & ICD updates with examples
Basic Question: NCCI Edits, Global Package, Seperate procedure
Modifiers: Commonly used surgery Modifier with examples
Updates
Q1. Tell me what are the recent ICD Updates with some example.Vimp
Q2. Tell me what are the major CPT updates with some example.Vimp
General Question
Q1. What is Seperate Procedure.Vimp
Q2. What is Surgical package and what procedure are inclusive in surgical pacakge.
Q3. What is NCCI Edits? Vimp
Q4. What is MUE and its importants in coding?
Q5. What is Diagnositc and Therapeutic Procedure ?
Q6.What is Unlisted CPT and How to use this ?
Q7.What is Minor and Major Procedure ?
Q8.What is global period ? Vimp
Modifier
Q1.What is Modifier ?
Q2.What are the difference between Modifier 51 and Modifier 59 ?Vimp
Q3.What is XU,XS,XP, XE modifier ?Vimp
Q4.What is Global modifier ?
Q5.Explain 58,78 & 79 Modifier ?Vimp
Q6.When to use 22 Modifier ?
Q7.What are the difference between modifier 52 & modifier 53 ?
Q8.What is 62 modifier ?
Q9.What is AS & 80 modifier ?
Integumentary System
(I&D) Get Notes
1.How we differentiate Incision and drainage of abscess simple or complicated ?Vimp
2.The code 10600-10061 belong to Incision and drainge upto which level(depth) ?
(Debridement) Get Notes
3.How we code Wound debridement(11042-11047) or what is Excisional debridment?
4.What is Non-Excisional debridement and when to code ?
5.If the Physician has peformed debridement of different level tissue like subcutaneous, muscle and bone in the same area, then how will you code ?
6. If physician is performing debriment of viable or health tissue of skin, so do you go for debridment CPT ?
(Biopsy) Get Notes
7.What are the layer of the skin ?
8.How do we code biopsy in integumentary System ?
9.What is meaning of Partial Thickness and Full thickness ?
10.What are the different technique of biopsy in integumentary system ?
11.How to code multiple biopsy, like tangential, punch or incisional ?
12.Hierarchy for selecting primary code for multiple biopsy
(Excision) Get Notes
13.What is excision in integumentary system ?Vimp
14.Explain excision guideline in integumentary ? Vimp
15.What is frozen section pathology ?
16.How we code subsequent excision of lesion ?
17.How we can report re-excision of lesion in the same session ? Vimp
(Repair) Get Notes
18.What are different type of repair, explain all?Vimp
19.Explain the difference between Intermediate and comple repair?
20.If physician is doing repair of epidermis and dermis layer with two different suture, so whcih reapir you will code, Simple or intermediate ?Vimp
21.Explain the condition required for complex repair, explain all ? Vimp
22.What are the important coding guideline for wound repair ?
23.What is Limited Undermining?
24.What is Extensive Undermining ?
(ATT) Get Notes
25.What is Adjacent tissue transfer ?Vimp
26.What are the type of Flap used in Adjacent Tissue transfer?
27.What is primary and secondary defect ?Vimp
28. How do we calculate the size of ATT ?Vimp
(Graft)
29.What is Skin substitute graft ?
30.What is Surgical preparation ?
31.What is split-thickness autograft ?
31.What is epidermal autograft ?
32.What are the major difference between full thickness graft and split thickness graft ?
33.While coding for split thickness graft or full thickness graft, harvesting and placement on another area ,
do we need to code for donor area closure if performed iwth flap and graft?Vimp
(Flap and Other Question)
30.What is Flap ?Vimp
31.What are the types of Flaps ?
32.What are the difference between graft and Flap ?imp
33.What is Dermabrasion ?
34.What is Liposuction ?
35.What is Mohr surgery ?
36.What is Sarcoma ?
Musculoskeletal System
(Fracture)
1.What is Open Fracture?Vimp
3.What is Comminuted Fracture ?
3.What is Intra-articular and Extra-articular Fracture ?Vimp
4.What is closed treatment of fracture and how it is performed ?
5.What is percutaneous treatment of fracture and how it is performed ?
6.What is ORIF?
7.How to report Malunion and Non-Union Fracture Treatment?
8.How to report external Fixation ?
9.What are malleolous fracture ?
Get 164 Surgery Interview Question with Answer
(Soft tissue Tumor Excision )
10.What is Soft Tissue Tumor ?
11.What are the code selection Criteria for Soft tissue tumor ?
12.What are the major difference between Excision of Musculoskeltal and Integumentary System?
13.What is fascia, define deep fascia and superficial fascia ?Vimp
(Spinal Procedure)
14.What are the coding guideline for Spinal Fusion or Arthrodesis ?Vimp
15.What are the different approach for Spinal Fusion ?Vimp
16.What is Laminectomy ?
17.What is the interbody Spinal Fusion ?
18.What is Vertaboplasty ?Vimp
19.Tell us the different type of Graft used in Spinal fusion ?
20.What is vertebral segment and vertebral interspace ?Vimp
21.What is spinal instrumentation?Vimp
22.What is Transforminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) ?
23.What are the approaches for the spinal fusion procedure ?
24.What are the difference between Spinal instrumentation and Peek or Cage ?Vimp
25.Can we report laminectomy code separately along with the fusion?
Get 164 Surgery Interview Question with Answer
(Arthroscopy Procedure)
26.What is Rotator cuff muscle ?Vimp
27.What is Slap Lesion and Bankart Lesion?Vimp
28.What is Capsulorrphaphy?Vimp
29.Can you code Capsulorrphaphy along with Slap repair?Vimp
30.What is Extensive and Limited debridment of the Shoulder ?Vimp
31. Name some component that are included in extensive debridement?Vimp
32.Can you code Menisectomy and Mensicus repair if performed on same compartment?Vimp
33.If Physcians is peforming synovecotmy in medial compartment and synovecotmy in other tow compartment how will you code?
(Arthroplasty Procedure)
34.What are the code selection criteria for open rotator cuff repair ?
35.What are the code selection criteria for shoulder arthroplasty ?
36.Which component is getting replace in hemi-shoulder arthroplasty?Vimp
37. What is total shoulder arthroplasty?
38.What is acromioplasty?Vimp
39.What is Hip arthroplasty?
40.What is hemiarthoplasty of hip?
41What is total hip arthroplasty?
42.What is Total Knee arthroplasty?
GI Procedure
(Endoscopy Procedure)
1.What is Screening Colonoscopy?Vimp
2. What is Diagnostic Colonoscopy ?Vimp
3.What is Therapeutic colonoscopy ?
4.What is High risk and Low risk ?Vimp
5.How do you report for screening colonoscopy for high risk and low risk medicare patient ?
6.Explain Colonoscopy decision tree ?
6.When to use PT or 33 Modifier ?Vimp
7.What is EMR and when to code EMR ?Vimp
8.When to code control of bleeding during colosconopy or EGD ?
9.What is EGD dilation and its type ?
(Other Procedure)
10.What is Laparotomy ?
11.What is Hartmann colostomy ?
12.What is colostomy reversal ?
13.What is colectomy and what are the code selection criteria ?
14.What is ERCP ?Vimp
15.What is Sphinterotomy ?
General Surgery
1.What is cholecystectomy ?Vimp
2.What are the purpose of intraoperative cholangiogram and how they performed ?
3.Do we code lysis of adhesion if performed along with laparoscopy cholecystectomy ?
4.How to code robotic arm used during cholecystectomy ?
5.What is Incidental AppendectomyVimp
(Hernia)
6.What is Hernia ?
7.What is incisional hernia ?
8.What is inguinal hernia ?
9.How do we code hernia repair or What are the code selection criteria for hernia repair?
10. What is incarcerated hernia ?
11.What is Strangulated hernia ?
12.Do we code mesh implant during repair of hernia separately ?
13.What are previous and current hernia coding updates ?
14.What is Tonsillectomy ?
15.What are the code selection criteria for tonsillectomy ?
16.What is primary or secondary tonsils removal?
17.What are the code selection for Thyroidectomy ?
18.What are radical neck dissection and Limited neck dissection ?Vimp
19.What is subtotal lobectomy ?
Breast Procedure
1.What is Partial Mastectomy ?
2.How you will report if biopsy is performed with extra margin taken ?Vimp
3.What are important coding guideline in mastectomy procedure ?Vimp
4.What is Total Mastectomy or Nipple sparring mastectomy ?
5.What are the difference between radical mastectomy and Modified mastectomy ?
6.What is breast reconstruction?
7.What are the different method of breast reconstruction ?
8.What is mastopexy ?
9.What is breast reduction ?
10.What is breast augmentation?
11.What is tissue expander?
12. What is sentinel lymph node ?
Gyencology
1.What is Colporrphaphy ?
2.What is Myosure and Novasure?
3.What is Hysterctomy and what are the coding guideline ?
4.What is Total Abdominal Hyserectomy?Vimp
5.What is Supracervical hysterectomy ?Vimp
6.What is vaginal hysterectomy ?Vimp
7.What is hysteroscopy ?
8.What is Cystocele and Rectocele and what proedure is performed to treat this?Vimp
Get 164 Surgery Interview Question with Answer
(Obgyn Procedure)
1.What is antepartum care ?
2.What are service included in anterpartum care ?
3.What is postpartum care ?
4.What are the coding guideline for delivery ?
5.How to code twin delivery ?
6.What is VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) ?
7.What is induced abortion ?
8.What is Missed abortion ?
9.What is ectopic pregnancy ?
10.What is advanced maternal age ?
11.What are the weeks included in trimester ?
12.What is gestation diabetes ?
13.How to code obgyn antepartum care ?
14.When to code term complicating childbirth. ?
15.what is global package of obgyn ?
16.What is advanced maternal age ?
17.What is postpartum period ?
18.What is different stage of pregnancy based on term such as full term, post term ?
19.What is Induced abortion and missed abortion ?
20.What is Preclampsia ?
Urology Procedure
1.Tell me about some Commonly urology procedure that you have encounter?
2.What is Cystolitholapaxy ,how will you report?
3.How will you report the physician has performed the ureteroscopy and found stone in right kidney and then stent are placed in right ureter?
4.How will you report ESWL with placement of stent?
5.What is Suprapubic Catheter , is it similar to Ureteral catheter ?
6.What are the difference between Suprapubic catheter and foley catheter?
7.What is Hydrodistention?
8.What are the coding guidleline for the place of Neurostimulator and lead ?
9.If physician peform Lithotripsy and for the same stone they are performing basket extraction, then how will you code?
10.If there are 3 tumor in bladder of size 1.5 cm, 2 cm and 3 cm , then will you report this service?
Male Genital Procedure
1.What is TURP ?Vimp
2.There is one code that is regrowth or residual resection of prostate ,when should it be reported?
3.What are the main component of Inflatable Penile implant?
4.How will you report Circumcision for Adult, if performed using Clamp but no penile or ring block given?
5.What is Dorsal Slit Circumcision?
5.What are the difference between orchiectomy and orchiopexy?
6.What is stereotactic prostate biopsy? Vimp
7.What is artificial urinary sphincter and whats are its component ?
8.What is MRI Fusion biopsy and what are the updated guideline for this ?
Other Minor Procedure
1.What is bronchoscopy ?
2.What are the diagnostic procedure performed in bronchoscopy ?
3.What are selective or non-selective catheterization and selective catheterization ?
4.What is Central Venous Access Procedures(CVAC) and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) ?Vimp
Basic HR questions for Experience Coder
The motive of this is to ask simple question about yourself and to know about your intention of getting new job. They will identify that the person next to it is reliable and really interested in job. Below are the list of question you should prepare if you are experience :
1.Tell me about yourself : See Sample
Purpose of asking this question
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To make your comfortable
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Observe your communication skill
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To initiate interview
2.What are your strengths?
These question are way to identify the strength that is align with your current job.
3.What certification you have ?
Now a days , company has many options to hire cerified coder, so they will prefer certification either CPC or CCS.But, sometimes Company requires urgent coder so they can hire non certified coder but they will ask you about you view on doing certification,then you have to agree with them as per requirement.
4.Why you want to switch or quit your company ?
You should answered based on career growth, learning oppurtinities and alighment with your professional goals.
5.What is your notice period ?
If you have 1 month notice period then this is fine but if you have 2-3 months notice period, then you have to say that this notice period is negotiable because they are not prefering to wait for 2-3 months.
6.What is your current CTC and what you are expecting ?
Always know the standard value so you should not be underpaid ,but still ask for minimum 30% hike.
7.Do you have already any offer ?
This should be discussed if you are not happy with the offer they are giving , so you can negotitate based on other current offer.