Wiki irrigation of abdomen and intraabdominal wound VAC change

[maxwell@marshall.edu]

the only code i can find for wound VAC is 97605 and 97606 but my surgeon did this in the OR...OP Note as follows:

Pt placed supine on the operating table and general anesthesia was administered without consequence. the old wound VAC was removed. the abdomen had adhesions laterally, superiorly and inferiorly that were taken down. Serous fluid was present in the abdomen with no fecal material at all. there really was no fecal material at all on the anterior surface of the bowel. this was irrigated copiously with antibiotic solution and second intraabdominal would VAC was placed without any incident and connected properly to suction. Blood loss was minimal.

please help.

 

[FTessaBartels]

44005 - Maybe Not

My first thought was CPT 44005, but then the report doesn't really say these were intestinal adhesions. Here's the lay description (from Encoder Pro)
The physician frees intestinal adhesions. The physician enters the abdomen through a midline abdominal incision. The bowel is freed from its attachments to itself, the abdominal wall and/or other abdominal organs. The abdominal incision is closed.

Perhaps you could ask the surgeon to clarify.

If you DO wind up using 44005, then I would NOT code the wound vac placement (as it will be considered bundled to the primary procedure.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels.

 

[jrowland]

wound vac

We have a patient that needs wound vac changes once a week. Can a physican charge for changing the wound vac in the OR if that is all they do? If the do an adbridement can they also bill for the wound vac?

 

[Treetoad]

If the procedure is a dressing change in the OR and nothing else, I would try procedure 15852.

 

[colorectal surgeon]

This sounds to me like 49002 reopening of recent laparotomy which is a good code. I would not bill the wound vac placement as well.