tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2022 Issue Q2

Reader Questions: Master Post-Bariatric Skin Removal Coding

Question: Our surgeon performed a procedure for a patient who had lost considerable weight following bariatric surgery. The patient suffered recurring rashes, sores and infection due to rubbing skin folds. The surgery involved removing skin and fat, performing intermediate and complex closure and plication of the facia to relieve tension, plus repositioning the umbilicus. How should we code this? Louisiana Subscriber Answer: The procedure you describe is a panniculectomy, which is surgery to remove excess, loose abdominal skin and fat that may occur following extensive weight loss. The proper code for a panniculectomy is 15830 (Excision, excessive skin and...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci General Surgery Coding Alert.


Leverage vital, to-the-point monthly guidance to boost your reporting accuracy and your coding know-how. We make it convenient for your team to stay informed, compliant, and profitable with a subscription to TCI’s General Surgery Coding Alert.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 2100 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 1999 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • tci General Surgery Coding Alert +Archives

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

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