AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS - 2020 Issue 1; Ask the Editor

Postoperative Hemorrhage Following Cholecystectomy

A patient underwent cholecystectomy for chronic calculus cholecystitis. While taking down attachments between the gallbladder and the liver bed, the provider noted an arterial bleed. The right upper quadrant was packed, and a vascular clamp was placed across the porta hepatis to control the bleeding. The bleeding site was identified as the orifice of the cystic artery just beyond its takeoff from the right hepatic artery. The provider documented “Complication: intraoperative hemorrhage.” When assigning the code for the bleed, is it appropriate to assign a code for bleeding organ/structure or the bleeding blood vessel (cystic artery)? ...

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