tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2004 Issue 7

You Be The Coder: Which Code Describes J-P Drain?

Question: Several months following partial mastectomy, the surgeon inserted a J-P drain for persistent seroma. How should we report the drain?Indiana Subscriber Answer: You should report 10160 (Puncture aspiration of abscess, hematoma, bulla, or cyst) because, in this case, the surgeon did not perform an incision and drainage (I&D). Had the surgeon performed I&D of the seroma, you would instead report  10140 (Incision and drainage of hematoma, seroma or fluid collection).In either case, you should link an appropriate diagnosis (for example, 998.13, Seroma complicating a procedure) to your procedure code. ...

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