AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2011 Issue 2; Ask the Editor

Excisional Debridement of Buttock Abscess

The patient is diagnosed with necrotizing soft tissue abscess/infection of the left buttock. The provider carried out excisional debridement of skin and subcutaneous tissue of left buttock. The provider documented the following in the operative note: “I first connected his abscess drainage sites with an incision and carried this down through the subcutaneous tissue with electrocautery. The tissue was noted to be in the process of liquefying and was nonviable. The wound (8 cm wide by 4 cm long and 2.5 cm deep) was extensively excised. Further probing of the wound was done to break into a couple of smaller abscess cavities and these were unroofed as well.” What is the correct code assignment for the procedure? ...

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