ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Question:

Pull out the right code when removing a foreign body

Published on Sun Jul 15, 2012

Question: A patient presented with a foreign body in his lower intestinal track. Our ED physician placed a parks retractor obtained from surgery. The anorectum was dilated, and the physician grabbed the foreign body with gynecologic forceps and removed it without difficulty. How do we code for this scenario?

New Jersey Subscriber

Answer: The closest code to describing your scenario is 46608 (Anoscopy; diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen (s) by brushing or washing [separate procedure]; with removal of foreign body). The Parks retractor is not exactly an anoscope but functions as one, allowing visualization of the foreign body

ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

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