Wiki Second surgery billable?

[eguest]

We had a patient who underwent a wrist synovectomy on 3-22. The surgical wound was closed and as the patient was being taken out of the OR, the wound began to bleed. The patient was placed back on the OR table, reanesthesized and the wound was reopened with the bleeders being cauterized. Is the cauterization procedure billable? Thinking 20103-78 or 25028-78, but not certain if it is even billable since the patient had not left the OR originally. It is a second procedure separate from the first, but need help if even billable and what code to use. Thx
EGuest

 

[JMeggett]

We had a patient who underwent a wrist synovectomy on 3-22. The surgical wound was closed and as the patient was being taken out of the OR, the wound began to bleed. The patient was placed back on the OR table, reanesthesized and the wound was reopened with the bleeders being cauterized. Is the cauterization procedure billable? Thinking 20103-78 or 25028-78, but not certain if it is even billable since the patient had not left the OR originally. It is a second procedure separate from the first, but need help if even billable and what code to use. Thx
EGuest

I wouldn't bill the additional procedure out. Seems the initial closure wasn't secure enough, or the cauterization should have been done before initial closure, but I would consider the bleeding before patient even left the OR as incompete initial procedure.

Jenna