Low Anterior Resection

Coding Clinic First Quarter 1996 stated that a low anterior resection of the rectum includes a sigmoidectomy and the sigmoidectomy is not coded separately. Additionally, Coding Clinic Third Quarter 2010 stated that a low anterior resection involves a resection deeper in the lower pelvic region. These citations appear to be providing clinical information about what constitutes a low anterior resection versus a sigmoidectomy. Our facility is seeking further clarification regarding which procedural components represent a true low anterior resection? ...

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AHA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This premium article discusses coding clarification related to low anterior resection and how prior Coding Clinic references should be interpreted. It is intended for coding professionals seeking general guidance on procedural documentation and the scope of published advice from Coding Clinic.

Why This Topic Matters

Accurate interpretation of operative documentation is important when assigning procedure codes for colorectal surgery. This article helps readers understand the type of clarification needed when the record does not clearly specify the procedure components.

Article Sections

  1. Clarification Request

    Introduces the documentation question and the need for additional provider clarification regarding the procedure performed.

  2. Published Coding Clinic Guidance

    Summarizes prior Coding Clinic references and explains their role in the discussion of the procedure.

  3. Interpretive Note

    Explains the limited purpose of the published advice and its relationship to documentation review.

What You Will Learn

  • The article’s focus on low anterior resection coding clarification
  • How prior Coding Clinic references are being discussed in relation to documentation
  • Why provider clarification may be needed for procedure reporting
  • The general scope and limits of published coding advice

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding managers
  • Clinical documentation improvement specialists
  • Health information management professionals

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

  • The official AHA publication for ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding guidelines and advice
  • Current newsletters added each quarter
  • Full Archives - over 3100 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 1984 organized by year and issue
  • Includes ICD-10-CM/PCS Articles since 2013
  • Fully searchable through Find-A-Code's Comprehensive Search
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles
  • View all the articles associated with any code, right from the code page!
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • AHA's Coding Clinic® - ICD-10-CM/PCS +Archives

Related Articles

Articles are listed in order of calculated relevance.

demo
request yours today
subscribe
start today
newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.

Aimee- AI -powered coding assistant - Try it now for Free Would you like Aimee - AI
to help you with this?