Wiki General Surgery question...

[danilyn]

Hello All!

I need your help with this very general question i was just asked to answer and i could not do so....

Patient comes in at 11:00 p.m (Sept 1) and has immediate surgery that takes 3 hours to complete. That brings the surgery end date to (Sept 2). Which date of service gets billed out for the date of surgery? The beginning date (Sept 1) or the end of the operation date (Sept 2)??

 

[Grintwig]

That's a very interesting question. I hope someone has a definitive answer.
Personally I would bill the surgery as taking place on the 2nd as that would be the date the physician would dictate the surgery and also the date it was actually completed but I could be wrong

 

[FTessaBartels]

Beginning date

Beginning date is considered the DOS, even if MOST of the surgery takes place after midnight.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC

 

[sleepycats]

I agree with the date the Px began, which in most cases would be the registration date and the date the MD states on his op note.

 

[Cyndi113]

I agree with Tessa. I would ask the surgeon to amend notes if the 2nd was indicated on dictated notes and I knew surgery began on 1st.