Wiki Colon location by name vs. distance from anal verge

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If a lesion was removed from the colon, and the surgeon reports it as a distance in centimeters from the anal verge rather than the name of the location, what is recommended for reporting the location with ICD-9 or ICD-10?

Consider the diagram here:
http://training.seer.cancer.gov/colorectal/anatomy/figure/figure1.html

For example, if the surgeon reports having removed a lesion at 20 cm, should that be coded as from the sigmoid or unspecified? Knowing that those measurements are considered an average for all persons, can we definitively use a code as specific as for the sigmoid?
 
colon ICD 10 coding

Hi BBooks,
I already had this discussion with my pathology team about a year ago when I started dual coding.
I was told that if they tell you specifically "which spot the specimen came from to code it that way" however when you are only provided cm's then this is the guide I have been provided by both my pathology team along with my gastro surgeon's -who both agree that this would be correct.

Rectum 0-10 cm
Recto Sigmoid 10-12 cm
Sigmoid 12-60 cm
descending 60-100 cm

Hopefully this helps!
Thanks,
Dana Chock, CPC, CCA, CANPC, CHONC, CPMA, CPB
Anesthesia, Pathology, & Laboratory Coder
 
colon lesion

Sorry, I had a little more information to add.
Colon Lesion ICD 9 is 569.89
ICD 10 is K63.9 off the top of my head - however if it's an adenoma please refer to prior post. However if polyp - you will code K63.5 for colon with rectal being K62.1 or inflammatory would be K51.4
Thanks
Dana
 
Thanks for the feedback, Dana! I will add this to my list of questions for pathologists as we move into ICD-10.
 
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