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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Depth Determines Abdominal Silo Placement Code

Published on Fri Jan 02, 2004

Question: How should I code an abdominal silo placement, with diagnoses of status post liver transplant and open abdominal wound?

Texas Subscriber Answer: The best surgical code is probably 13160 (Secondary closure of surgical wound or dehiscence, extensive or complicated), but Crosswalk lists several anesthesia coding options. Many coding experts recommend 00700 (Anesthesia for procedures on upper anterior abdominal wall; not otherwise specified) or 00790 (Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in upper abdomen including laparoscopy; not otherwise specified), depending on the depth of surgery.
 
Report diagnosis codes V58.41 (Encounter for planned postoperative wound closure) and V42.7 (Organ or tissue replaced by transplant; liver), then the reason for the liver transplant. Also include modifier -58 (Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period) because the procedure was planned as a staged procedure.
 
- You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were answered by Eileen Lorenco, RHIT, CS, CPC, anesthesia and pain management coder with Lahey Clinic, in Burlington, Mass.
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