CPC- DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
STUDY GUIDE 2025 2026.
,1. A 55 year-old patient underwent a repair of an initial left inguinal hernia.
An incision was made at the groin and a hernia sac was readily identified and cleared from the surrounding tissue
and inverted into the preperitoneal space and plugged. Mesh was tacked to the surrounding muscle layers then
placed over the entire floor. The correct CPT® code(s) is (are) CORRECT ANSWER
A. 49500-LT
B. 49505-LT
C. 49505-LT, 49568
D. 49650-LT, 49658 CORRECT ANSWER B
In the CPT® Index, look for Hernia Repair/Inguinal. You are referred to 49491, 49495-49500, and 49505. Review the codes to choose the appropriate service. 49505 is the
correct code. The repair was through an incision (not by laparoscopy) on an initial inguinal hernia on a patient over five years of age. CPT® guidelines indicate with the
exception or of the incisional hernia repairs (49560-49566) the use of mesh or other prosthesis is not separately reported. It would be inappropriate to code the mesh in
this scenario.
2. A 79-year-old male has acute cholecystitis and an abnormal liver function test. He has elected to go in for
surgery. A laparoscope was placed through an epigastric incision with the insertion of two lateral 5 mm ports. The
gall- bladder was elevated and the cystic duct was located and dissected out. In the process of transecting the duct
the gallbladder tore and several gallstones were released and these were removed with a gallstone retriever along
with the removal of the gallbladder. The cystic duct stump was tied off and the common bile duct was incised and a
large stone was seen and removed. The common bile duct is closed connected to a drainage tube placed outside of
the abdomen wall into a bowel bag. What are the codes for this procedure?
A. 47420, 47562-51
B. 47480, 47564-51
C. 47420, 47564-51
D. 47480, 47562-51 CORRECT ANSWER A
, In the CPT® Index, look for Bile Duct/Removal/Calculi (Stone). You are referred to 43264, 47420, 47425, 47544. Review the codes to choose appropriate service. 47420 is the
correct code. A choledochotomy (incision of the bile duct) was
done for removing a stone and a choledochostomy (a stoma was made in the abdominal wall from the bile duct for drainage) was done. In the CPT® Index, look for
Gallbladder/Excision - See Cholecystectomy. Look for Cholecystecto- my/Laparoscopic. You are referred to codes 47562-47564. Review the codes to choose appropriate
service. 47562 is the correct code. There was a removal of the gallbladder through a laparoscope without a cholangiography.
3. An elderly gentleman presented with a high-grade small bowel obstruction. A midline abdominal incision was
done encountering fairly dense adhesions. Using a combination of sharp dissection and electrocautery, a full
adhesiolysis was done on several of adhesions up to the anterior abdominal wall, which ap- peared to be the culprit
for this patient's small bowel obstruction. In dissecting out this mat of adhesions, an enterotomy was made
performing a limited small bowel resection, dividing the intervening mesentery and a double-stapled anastomosis.
What CPT® coding is reported?
A. 44120, 44005-51
B. 44125
C. 44120
D. 44130, 44005-51 CORRECT ANSWER C
In the CPT® Index, look for Intestines, Small/Excision. You are referred to 44120-44128. Review the codes to choose appropriate service. 44120 is the correct code since a small
bowel (intestine) was resected with an anastomosis. CPT® code 44005 is not coded because it is designated as a separate procedure and is considered an integral component (part
of or included with) when another intestinal surgical procedure is performed at the same time.
4. A 70-year-old female who has a history of symptomatic ventral hernia was advised to undergo laparoscopic
evaluation and repair. An incision was made in the epigastrium and dissection was carried down through the
subcutaneous tissue. Two 5-mm trocars were placed, one in the left upper quadrant and one in the left lower
quadrant and the laparoscope was inserted. Dissection was carried down to the area of the hernia where a small
defect was clearly visualized. There was some omentum, which was adhered to the hernia and this was delivered
EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
STUDY GUIDE 2025 2026.
,1. A 55 year-old patient underwent a repair of an initial left inguinal hernia.
An incision was made at the groin and a hernia sac was readily identified and cleared from the surrounding tissue
and inverted into the preperitoneal space and plugged. Mesh was tacked to the surrounding muscle layers then
placed over the entire floor. The correct CPT® code(s) is (are) CORRECT ANSWER
A. 49500-LT
B. 49505-LT
C. 49505-LT, 49568
D. 49650-LT, 49658 CORRECT ANSWER B
In the CPT® Index, look for Hernia Repair/Inguinal. You are referred to 49491, 49495-49500, and 49505. Review the codes to choose the appropriate service. 49505 is the
correct code. The repair was through an incision (not by laparoscopy) on an initial inguinal hernia on a patient over five years of age. CPT® guidelines indicate with the
exception or of the incisional hernia repairs (49560-49566) the use of mesh or other prosthesis is not separately reported. It would be inappropriate to code the mesh in
this scenario.
2. A 79-year-old male has acute cholecystitis and an abnormal liver function test. He has elected to go in for
surgery. A laparoscope was placed through an epigastric incision with the insertion of two lateral 5 mm ports. The
gall- bladder was elevated and the cystic duct was located and dissected out. In the process of transecting the duct
the gallbladder tore and several gallstones were released and these were removed with a gallstone retriever along
with the removal of the gallbladder. The cystic duct stump was tied off and the common bile duct was incised and a
large stone was seen and removed. The common bile duct is closed connected to a drainage tube placed outside of
the abdomen wall into a bowel bag. What are the codes for this procedure?
A. 47420, 47562-51
B. 47480, 47564-51
C. 47420, 47564-51
D. 47480, 47562-51 CORRECT ANSWER A
, In the CPT® Index, look for Bile Duct/Removal/Calculi (Stone). You are referred to 43264, 47420, 47425, 47544. Review the codes to choose appropriate service. 47420 is the
correct code. A choledochotomy (incision of the bile duct) was
done for removing a stone and a choledochostomy (a stoma was made in the abdominal wall from the bile duct for drainage) was done. In the CPT® Index, look for
Gallbladder/Excision - See Cholecystectomy. Look for Cholecystecto- my/Laparoscopic. You are referred to codes 47562-47564. Review the codes to choose appropriate
service. 47562 is the correct code. There was a removal of the gallbladder through a laparoscope without a cholangiography.
3. An elderly gentleman presented with a high-grade small bowel obstruction. A midline abdominal incision was
done encountering fairly dense adhesions. Using a combination of sharp dissection and electrocautery, a full
adhesiolysis was done on several of adhesions up to the anterior abdominal wall, which ap- peared to be the culprit
for this patient's small bowel obstruction. In dissecting out this mat of adhesions, an enterotomy was made
performing a limited small bowel resection, dividing the intervening mesentery and a double-stapled anastomosis.
What CPT® coding is reported?
A. 44120, 44005-51
B. 44125
C. 44120
D. 44130, 44005-51 CORRECT ANSWER C
In the CPT® Index, look for Intestines, Small/Excision. You are referred to 44120-44128. Review the codes to choose appropriate service. 44120 is the correct code since a small
bowel (intestine) was resected with an anastomosis. CPT® code 44005 is not coded because it is designated as a separate procedure and is considered an integral component (part
of or included with) when another intestinal surgical procedure is performed at the same time.
4. A 70-year-old female who has a history of symptomatic ventral hernia was advised to undergo laparoscopic
evaluation and repair. An incision was made in the epigastrium and dissection was carried down through the
subcutaneous tissue. Two 5-mm trocars were placed, one in the left upper quadrant and one in the left lower
quadrant and the laparoscope was inserted. Dissection was carried down to the area of the hernia where a small
defect was clearly visualized. There was some omentum, which was adhered to the hernia and this was delivered
