AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2012 Issue 2; Ask the Editor

Thermal Injury Occurring at Surgery

The patient underwent total vaginal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. During the procedure, the surgeon noted a small thermal injury of the bowel, which did not penetrate. This injury was oversewn with several sutures until the thermal injury was completely antiseptic. The coder assigned 998.2, Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure; however, this code assignment does not seem appropriate, since there was no puncture, laceration, or perforation. How should this surgical complication be coded? ...

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