AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2014 Issue 1; Ask the Editor
Extracardiac Fontan Procedure
A patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, who has previously undergone a neonatal Norwood procedure followed by a bidirectional Glenn procedure, now presents for an extracardiac Fontan procedure. ICD-9-CM’s Index to procedures leads to code 35.94, when referencing the Fontan procedure. This code describes creation of a conduit between the atrium and pulmonary artery. However, in this case the main purpose of the operation was to connect the inferior vena cava with the right pulmonary artery via a prosthetic conduit, and code 35.94 does not seem right. What is the appropriate ICD-9-CM procedure code? ...
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This article reviews a congenital heart surgery scenario involving staged palliation and the terminology used to describe the Fontan operation in ICD-9-CM procedure coding. It is aimed at coders and clinical documentation staff who need to interpret procedure-indexing guidance and understand why a specific code is discussed for this type of cardiac surgery.
Why This Topic Matters
Congenital heart procedures can be documented and indexed in ways that differ from the exact operative anatomy, so accurate interpretation of the coding source matters for correct procedure selection. This article helps readers understand the scope of an extracardiac Fontan coding question within ICD-9-CM procedure coding.
What You Will Learn
- How an extracardiac Fontan procedure is framed in a coding reference context
- How congenital heart surgery history affects procedure coding review
- How ICD-9-CM procedure indexing is applied to a Fontan-related question
- What types of documentation details are relevant when evaluating this procedure scenario
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding educators
- Clinical documentation staff
- Revenue cycle professionals
Codes Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com