tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2003 Issue 8

Reader Question: Documentation Supports Code for Mesh Removal

Question: Our surgeon operated on a patient with recurrent inguinal hernia. The mesh placed during the original surgery had to be removed due to infection. Is removal of the infected mesh considered part of recurrent hernia surgery or can I report it separately? Texas Subscriber  Answer: Youre unlikely to find consensus among payers on this issue because there is no single rule governing these circumstances. In any case, what you can code (and expect reimbursement for) depends largely on the strength of the surgeons documentation. In most instances, you should be able to make a case for...

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