Wiki Eroded Neurostimulator site

[dslattery]

I was wondering if my fellow coders have any advice on the following condition that came up in our agency today. We have a patient that has an eroded infected neurostimulator site (location is in the buttocks) and the hospital coded the condition as a pressure ulcer to the buttocks. I'm not sure I agree with this but wouldn't we also code a complication of a nervous system device 99663? We are a home care agency taking care of the patient now for the eroded site. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Tonyj]

I was wondering if my fellow coders have any advice on the following condition that came up in our agency today. We have a patient that has an eroded infected neurostimulator site (location is in the buttocks) and the hospital coded the condition as a pressure ulcer to the buttocks. I'm not sure I agree with this but wouldn't we also code a complication of a nervous system device 99663? We are a home care agency taking care of the patient now for the eroded site. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

What does the documentation state? You may need to use both codes.

 

[dslattery]

Documentation

The documentation from the hospital talks about the infected neurostimulator which was removed or cut off but there are still leads in the cervical spine area and the erosion which they indicate as causing the pressure ulcer on the buttocks. I want to use the complication and the ulcer but just having a tough time with this being a pressure ulcer but if that's what the hospital indicates then I have to go with it and not question it.....right? I work with a team of nurses who all disagree with the pressure ulcer code and wanted me to check a coding forum to see if anyone else had this type of scenario.