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Urology Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Extensive Debridement

Published on Sun May 27, 2007

Question: My urologist performed an extensive radical debridement of the left anterior abdominal wall. The patient had a pre-op and post-op diagnosis of "necrotizing soft-tissue infection of the abdominal wall continuing down to the perineum." Would you tell me how to code this procedure?

Nebraska Subsciber

Answer: Consider the extent of the debridement and look at codes 11004 to 11006 (Debridement of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and fascia for necrotizing soft-tissue infection ...).

 For the diagnoses, you should use ICD-9 code 785.4 (Gangrene) as the primary diagnosis and 608.83 (Fournier's gangrene) as a secondary diagnosis. Sequencing your diagnoses this way will ensure payment and will also be clinically accurate.criber

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