Wiki Surgery for malunion of fracture

[Ccgerson]

Procedure is ORIF of extra-articular distal radius ( 25607)
Diagnosis is right comminuted distal radius fracture with partial malunion. I am still unsure how to code for these, when pt is getting surgery. According to the fracture coding guidelines, all diagnosis for surgery should be coded with 7th character "A".

 

[mitchellde]

the guidelines do not state that surgery requires he A as the 7th character. If it is documented as a malunion and this is the reason for the surgery, then you code the diagnosis with the 7th character of P,Q, or R.