tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2004 Issue 7

You Be the Coder: What Counts as an Incision?

Question: The physician removed an embedded fish hook by cutting the barb with wire cutters and pulling it out with forceps. Should I use the foreign-body removal code 10120? Does the physician have to make an incision for the procedure code to count? Utah Subscriber Answer: According to CPT, use 10120 (Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; simple). In situations like this -- in which the foreign body has created an "incision" of sorts - not every practice has the same philosophy about which code to report. Some practices consider the incision to be made by the...

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