Wiki DX s/p Surgery

[TBAKER1026]

When a patient comes into the office for a follow up visit status post surgery for a shoulder or knee tear...Do you still code the Tear or do you just code the post surgical pain. Technically the diagnosis that warranted the surgery should be resolved once it has been preformed, correct?

 

[mitchellde]

The correct code for s/p surgery is the V code for either follow up or aftercare. You use the 338 code for post op pain only if the reason for the encounter is pain control. You will never use the reason for the surgery as the reason for post op since the condition resolved with the surgery.