tci Part B Insider - 2005 Issue 35

SURGERY: You Could Be Missing $100s In Abdominal Surgery Coding

Don't be afraid to bill 49002 when the surgeon reopens the woundIf your surgeon is re-exploring an abdominal wound with washing and VAC placement, don't just bill for abdominal lavage--or you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars.Surgeons sometimes fail to document their work properly when they reopen an abdominal wound, says Christine Endes, surgical coding specialist at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia, PA. Surgeons routinely bill peritoneal lavage code 49080 when they should bill for 49002 (Reopening of recent laparaotomy), she notes. Example: A trauma surgeon has closed the wound previously, but the surgeon reopens the stitches...

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