11/13/2025
Exploratory laparotomy (49000) is only billable when no therapeutic procedure is performed during the same surgical session. Once the underlying issue is found and treated — that therapeutic CPT code replaces the exploratory code.
👉 Example: Patient undergoes laparotomy and the surgeon removes an ovarian cyst. You do not bill 49000 + cyst removal — only the cyst removal procedure is billed. Billing both leads to denials or audits.
📲 Ensure your OR coding stays compliant at milleniummedbill.com