tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2005 Issue 8

You Be the Coder: What Makes Obesity 'Morbid'?

Question: What distinguishes "obesity" from "morbid obesity"? Which of these diagnoses should I use for a patient undergoing gastric bypass surgery? North Carolina SubscriberAnswer: You should choose the diagnosis that best describes the patient's condition.ICD-9 defines morbid obesity as "increased weight beyond limits of skeletal and physical requirements (125 percent or more over ideal body weight), as a result of excess fat in subcutaneous connective tissues."If the patient meets the definition of severe or morbid obesity, you should assign 278.01 (Morbid obesity). When patients do not meet the definition for morbid obesity, you should instead list...

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