Stitches

[RDouglas]

Morning! I am looking for some help..... Patient was seen 1 year ago and had a lesion removal on the top of the head and sutures were placed. This patient forgot to come back and have the sutures removed so this is one year later patient noticing dry spot on head and realizes stitches are still there. Using sharp scissors the doctor removed a crust of skin and then dissects the stitches out. He also used a microscope to make sure the stitches were completely removed, otherwise healed completely and looks good. There is clearly not a global package at this point but I am looking for feedback as to weather this would be considered a "Foreign body removal"?? Or an E/M for this visit.
Any thoughts on this??

[Susan]

Originally Posted by RDouglas

Morning! I am looking for some help..... Patient was seen 1 year ago and had a lesion removal on the top of the head and sutures were placed. This patient forgot to come back and have the sutures removed so this is one year later patient noticing dry spot on head and realizes stitches are still there. Using sharp scissors the doctor removed a crust of skin and then dissects the stitches out. He also used a microscope to make sure the stitches were completely removed, otherwise healed completely and looks good. There is clearly not a global package at this point but I am looking for feedback as to weather this would be considered a "Foreign body removal"?? Or an E/M for this visit.
Any thoughts on this??

WOW.. I guess some patients are just not very observant.. I would look to code that through the E/M visit with the suture removal dx code and the hx code of the outcome of the lesion i.e. Personal history of Malignant Neoplasm V10.83