# Trach decannulation - I am stumped!



## presh180 (Aug 29, 2010)

Hi everyone and thanks in advance for any help!  

One of our hospitalists saw a patient who had "coughed out her tracheostomy".  At the bedside the physician did not see the need for further tracheostomy placement and "removed it without incident", and then applied gauze to cover her stoma.  

The physician wrote "trach decannulation" as an additional procedure besides the hospital visit.  

I am soooo confused!  Didn't she cough it out initially?  

The only code I can come up with is 31899 Unlisted Procedure Trachea/Bronchi.

Any advice?  Thanks!


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