# Help! CPT for Removal of Rickham Cath?



## BwitchyCoder (Jul 2, 2009)

Cath is being removed due to infection...  not long after being placed.

PREPARATION: Under sedation with local anesthesia, the scalp
wound is reopened and the precoronal frontal left-sided bur
hole is identified. The Rickham catheter is immediately found
and removed and sent to microbiology for further evaluation.
The dural defect was closed with Gelfoam, wound closure with
single-layer single stitches of 2-0 nylon.

Looking for the CPT for the removal of the catheter.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.   Thanks!


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## FractalMind (Jul 2, 2009)

Hi Southsore08, I think you and I are coding for the same case but only I'm coding for anesthesia, I found code 62256 with Encoder description:

"The physician removes a complete cerebrospinal fluid shunt system without replacement in 62256. The physician incises and retracts the scalp over the placement origin. The dura is incised, and the shunt is located and removed. The dura is sutured closed; the scalp is reapproximated and sutured in layers. Report 62256 if the shunt system is only removed. Report 62258 if the shunt system is replaced during the same operation."

By what the report says I think this code description matches the procedure, what do you think?

Erika.


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