tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2009 Issue 6

Reader Questions: Let Anatomy Guide Your FBR Coding

Question: A patient came to our practice with pain in his shoulder. During the visit, the patient explained that he-d had several metal shavings embedded in his shoulder from a work accident two weeks before, but he thought he had removed them all. The physician had to perform an incisional foreign body removal. The documentation states that the surgeon had to remove the metal from "below the fascia." I know I shouldn't use 10120 or 10121, but which code should I use? Colorado Subscriber Answer: You should turn to the musculoskeletal section of the CPT manual: 20000-29999. When...

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