ICD 10 Coding Alert

Question: Encounter notes indicate that a patient suffers from postoperative pain. What is the correct ICD-10 code for this condition?

Illinois Subscriber

Answer: It depends on whether the pain was chronic or acute — and whether the operation was a thoracotomy or another procedure. Go back and check the notes to see if you can glean this information. Then, choose one of the following ICD-10-CM codes:

• G89.12 (Acute post-thoracotomy pain)
• G89.18 (Other acute postprocedural pain)
• G89.22 (Chronic post-thoracotomy pain)
• G89.28 (Other chronic postprocedural pain).