ICD 10 Coding Alert
Note Effect on Function with This Dx
Question: A year after our surgeon excised a basal cell carcinoma on a patient’s left little finger, the patient returned complaining that the scar contracted her joint, causing difficulty bending the finger. The surgeon surgically released the contracture of the 2.3 cm scar. How should we code this procedure and diagnosis? Maryland Subscriber Answer: Report the surgeon’s revision of a 2.3 cm scar as 13131 (Repair, complex, forehead, cheeks, chin, mouth, neck, axillae, genitalia, hands and/or feet; 1.1 cm to 2.5 cm). Because the reason for the procedure is functional, not just cosmetic, you need to capture that in the diagnosis coding. Report L90.5 (Scar conditions and fibrosis of skin), as well as M24.542 (Contracture, left hand).
ICD 10 Coding Alert
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Know These Other Terms for Corkscrew Esophagus
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Note Effect on Function with This Dx
Question: A year after our surgeon excised a basal cell carcinoma on a patient’s left little [...] - Reader Questions:
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Use This Code for This Herniated Disc Condition
Question: The patient had a herniated disc L4-L5 with radiculopathy. The surgeon made a midline [...]
