I am confused about the aftercare codes (V54 etc) It says aftercare for healing traumatic fracture, but I am told that these codes are used after the fracture heals and it is more appropriate to use the actual fracture codes during the fracture f.u. visits. This supposedly came from a national expert. I am new to this specialty and two major companies that I have coded for have two different approaches. Help!!
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Wiki Orthopaedic aftercare ICD-9
- Thread starter jmgoyette
- Start date
dmaec
True Blue
hmmm...guess I'll have to look into that a bit more! However, in the past - and for now - our facility uses the V54.xx fracture care follow up codes on fracture care follow up visits. If they are "new" fractures, (within their global period still) we also use the fracture code itself as the second dx. but again, looks like I have some research to do! 
Lisa Bledsoe
True Blue
My understanding is that if the fracture is "healing" you should use the "aftercare for healing traumatic fracture codes".
Lisa Bledsoe
True Blue
In fact, if you look at the ICD-9 guidelines, it explains what codes to use when. Page 13 of the guidelines.
Treetoad
Expert
One would expect that if the fracture is still in the "healing" phase, it would be acceptable to use the aftercare, healing traumatic fracture--as the words imply.