May 2008 page 15
Surgery: Digestive System, 44799 (Q&A)
Question: What is the appropriate code to report the Malone
procedure (appendicocolostomy) that is performed for fecal
incontinence after repair of an imperforate anus?
Answer: Code 44799, Unlisted procedure, intestine, should be
reported for this procedure. The Malone procedure is used
for children with constipation secondary to congenital
problems and is not commonly performed. When reporting
an unlisted code to describe a procedure or service, it
is necessary to submit supporting documentation (eg, procedure
report) along with the claim to provide an adequate
description of the nature, extent, need...
Note: The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.
Article Overview
This article is a short CPT Assistant Q&A from the Surgery: Digestive System section. It addresses a rare digestive system procedure in the context of pediatric congenital conditions and explains the general need for supporting documentation when an unlisted procedure code is used. It is most relevant to coders, billers, and compliance staff working with surgery claims and CPT reporting.
Why This Topic Matters
It helps readers recognize that this type of case is handled through an unlisted procedure code and that documentation support is part of the claim process. That makes it useful for avoiding miscoding and for understanding how unusual surgical services are discussed in CPT guidance.
Article Sections
May 2008 page 15
A brief Q&A from the May 2008 Surgery: Digestive System section covering an uncommon digestive system procedure and related reporting context.
What You Will Learn
How this type of digestive system Q&A is presented in CPT Assistant
What general documentation support is discussed for an unlisted procedure claim
How the article frames an uncommon pediatric surgical service in coding terms without extensive detail.
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