General Surgery Coding Alert

1. What is the location? For all hernia repairs, you must know what type of hernia (such as inguinal, femoral, incisional, etc.) the surgeon treats.

2. Is it reducible? The contents of a reducible hernia can be pushed back through the fascial defect. In contrast, the contents of an incarcerated or strangulated hernia are trapped in the hernia sac and cannot be pushed back through the

fascial defect.

3. Initial or recurrent? In other words, is this the firrst repair at this location, or does the surgeon have.