Anesthesia Coding Alert

You Be The Coder - Does Gastric Band Revision Have a Code?

Question: A gastric banding patient returned to surgery after her band slipped. The surgeon didn't mention a particular approach in the chart, but I assume it was open. What is the best anesthesia code to use for this?

Utah Subscriber

Answer: This procedure (43848, Revision of gastric restrictive procedure for morbid obesity [separate procedure]) has two anesthesia coding options - 00790 (Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in upper abdomen including laparoscopy; not otherwise specified) and 00797 (... gastric restrictive procedure for morbid obesity).

Your best option is to use code 00797, because the physician still performs a banding procedure for the obesity.

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