tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2008 Issue 11

Reader Questions: Separate Session = Billable Control of Bleeding

Question: I understand that you should include control of bleeding during a surgical procedure as a component of the primary surgical procedure, but what if you must return the patient to the operating room for control of bleeding via a separate endoscope 24 hours later? New Hampshire SubscriberAnswer: If the surgeon tends to the patient only for control of bleeding, you may report the procedure separately. For instance, for colonoscopy with control of bleeding that occurs independently of other endoscopic procedures in the same area, you would report 45382 (Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; with control of bleeding...

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