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
