Wiki Help with coding procedure

[dawn1170]

Could someone advise on how to code this procedure?

pt presents with another lesion consistant with a brown recluse spider bite just below and to the left of the umbilicus. She is on Keflex and Biaxin started 3 days ago. I recommended wide local excision of the necrotic envenomated tissue. The lesion was excised under sterile technique after Betadine scrub and field block anesthesia with 10 mL 1% buffered lidocaine with epi as described below:


Lesion 1
Site: just below and left of the umbilicus
Duration: 4 days
Size of resection: 1.5 cm X 2.6 2.6 cm
Pathology referral: No, none needed.
Closure: Two-layer suture: 2-0 vicryl

 

[FTessaBartels]

Lesion Excision plus Layered closure

You need the size of the lesion itself in order to code the excision (lesion plus NARROWEST margin required for complete excision). Look at codes in the 11400-11403 range.

You have the dimension of the incision - 1.5 x 2.6 cm ... so your layered closure would be coded with 12032.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC