tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2008 Issue 12

'Lavage' May Be More Than You Think

What to watch to avoid a $500 (or more) mistake If your surgeon must return a patient to the operating room for abdominal washout due to complication, don't select lavage code 49080 uncritically. In many cases, the procedure will qualify for a more extensive (and higher-valued) exploratory laparotomy. Know What 49080 Describes Surgeons will use the term "lavage" to describe washing out of abdominal wounds during an exploratory surgery, but you should be careful not to confuse this with lavage as defined by 49080 (Peritoneocentisis, abdominal paracentisis, or peritoneal lavage [diagnostic or therapeutic]; initial). During peritoneal lavage (49080) the...

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