tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2002 Issue 10

You Be the Coder: Post-Op Debridement

Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.   Question: A long-term patient had two toes amputated. During postoperative rounds the surgeon noted an ulcer on the calf of the same leg, which required debridement. Is the time spent debriding billable? New Hampshire Subscriber   Answer: Yes, you may bill for the debridement with the appropriate CPT code, e.g., 11040, Debridement; skin, partial thickness. Although the service takes place during the global period of another procedure (the amputation), it is unrelated to the initial surgery and...

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