tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2009 Issue 15

You Be the Coder: Know Your Cysts to Select Proper Code

Question: A patient had a left infected third branchial cleft cyst. The surgeon incised, drained, and took a culture specimen from fluctuant area. He debrided overlying skin that was necrotic and friable. The surgeon identified and removed keratinized debris from the cyst, then debrided and cauterized base of the abscess/cyst wall. Is this "incision and drainage" (10060) or is there a more comprehensive code for this work? Texas Subscriber Answer: The correct code for the procedure you describe is 42810 (Excision branchial cleft cyst or vestige, confined to skin and subcutaneous tissues). A branchial cleft cyst is a congenital...

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