Wiki Coding Post op Seromas

[Minhas85]

Hello,
After breast surgery (for benign or malignant neoplasms etc.) pt. often develops a seroma, should the aspiration of seroma be billed or is it a part of Global period? Any suggestions please..

 

[thomas7331]

Hello,
After breast surgery (for benign or malignant neoplasms etc.) pt. often develops a seroma, should the aspiration of seroma be billed or is it a part of Global period? Any suggestions please..

For Medicare purposes, it is considered part of the global surgical package unless the aspiration needed to be done in the OR.

From Medicare's Global Surgery Booklet:
Medicare includes the following services in the global surgery payment when provided in addition to the surgery:
...
All additional medical or surgical services required of the surgeon during the post-operative period of the surgery because of complications, which do not require additional trips to the operating room