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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Know Your Anatomy for EGD Coding

Published on Sun Mar 01, 2009

If your ENT ventures past the pharynx, youll want to review some basic anatomy. Esophagus: Youre probably pretty familiar with the esophagus, which extends about 24 cm from the pharynx to the stomach. If the esophagus is narrowed (530.3, Stricture and stenosis of esophagus), your physician may have to dilate it to complete an EGD. Gastroesophageal junction: You may have seen your ENTs op reports mention the GE junction,where the esophagus empties into the stomach. Signs of problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (530.81, Other specified disorders of esophagus; esophageal reflux) can appear here before they show up elsewhere in the esophagus. Lower esophageal sphincter: Located at the GE junction, a healthy LES lets food in the stomach, and keeps it in. In a patient with achalasia (530.0, Achalasia and cardiospasm), the sphincter fails to properly relax, and the esophagus distends over time. Stomach: The stomach is a sac that [...]
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