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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

35860 Crosses to 01770

Published on Sun May 13, 2012

Question: A patient had a right groin AV graft inserted for end stage renal disease. He returned to surgery an hour later for "right groin wound exploration" because of "post-op bleeding." How should we code the return procedure?Michigan SubscriberAnswer: The appropriate surgical code is 35860 (Exploration for postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis or infection; extremity). Your primary anesthesia crosswalk choice for 35860 is 01770 (Anesthesia for procedures on arteries of upper arm and elbow; not otherwise specified). Alternate choices include 01270 (Anesthesia for procedures involving arteries of upper leg, including bypass graft; not otherwise specified), 01440 (Anesthesia for procedures on arteries of knee and popliteal area; not otherwise specified), and other anatomic-focused options. Modifier watch: Because you're reporting an anesthesiologist's services, the payer might not accept modifier 78 (Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period) for the second [...]
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