General Surgery Coding Alert

Don't expect code descriptor changes when new system kicks off in 2013.A personal history of colon cancer can significantly impact a patient's risk for future disease, so accurately capturing the history with diagnosis codes is crucial.With ICD-9, you currently code personal history of colorectal cancer with V10.05 (Personal history of malignant neoplasm of large intestine).ICD-10 difference: When ICD-9-CM shifts to ICD-10-CM in Oct. 1, 2013, code V10.05 will change to Z85.038 (Personal history of other malignant neoplasm of large intestine). Bearing the same descriptor -- except for the word "other" added in ICD-10, you should regard your Z85.038 the same way as you do the ICD-9 code V10.05.Documentation: According to ICD-10-CM, Z85.038 is applicable to conditions classifiable to parent code C18 (Malignant neoplasm of colon), which includes 'child' codes such as:C18.0 -- Malignant neoplasm of cecumC18.1 -- Malignant neoplasm of appendixC18.2 -- Malignant neoplasm of ascending colonC18.3 -- Malignant neoplasm of hepatic flexureC18.4 -- Malignant neoplasm [...]