General Surgery Coding Alert

Question: How should we code an ileostomy closure?

Kansas Subscriber

Answer: It all depends on what else the surgeon did. If the intestine was simply taken down, closed and dropped back in, the correct code would be 44620.

If a piece of the ileum was resected and removed and anastomosis was performed, 44625 would be correct.

Code 44626 should not be used because the ileostomy did not occur at the colorectal juncture.