Wiki I & D and Splinter Removal

dballard2004

True Blue
Messages
1,270
Location
Overland Park, KS
Best answers
0
A patient presented to the office with an infected splinter. The provider performed an I & D of the area draining the infection, then in deeper tissue of the same area, a splinter was located and removed.

Would the splinter removal be considered inclusive of the I & D or would we code separately for the removal with modifier 59? Modifier 51 needed?
 
Hi, Dawson. Codes 10120 and 10121 include both the I & D and removal of a foreign body, so I would use one of those based on simple or complicated.

Have a good day!
 
Top