ICD 10 Coding Alert
Define Your Physician's Approach Using PCS Code's 5th Character
You have seven potential options.
Every ICD-10-PCS code has seven characters, each character defining one aspect of the procedure performed. Together, they give a complete picture. You should choose your fifth character based on the physician's approach.
Definition: "Approach" refers to the technique a physician uses to reach the site of the procedure.
ICD-10-PCS offers the following options for identifying the approach:
Here is how you should define each of these approaches:
Example 1: Suppose your physician performs liposuction on the patient's left upper arm. This procedure involves a small tube-like instrument called a cannula is inserted through tiny incisions to surgically remove fat cells. Therefore, the approach is percutaneous. You should use a fifth character of "3." (The full code is 0JDF3ZZ.)
Example 2: On the other hand, suppose your physician performs a dilation and curettage (D&C). During a D&C, the physician will dilate the cervix by inserting instrumentation via the vagina (natural opening). The instrumentation is then used to remove uterine tissue. Because the approach is via a natural opening and does not involve any endoscopic or percutaneous endoscopic assistance, you will apply a fifth character of "7." (The full ICD-10-PCS code is 0UDB7ZZ.)
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