nlbarnes
Expert
General surgeon, Dr. D (who I'm coding for) coded 44005 but could this be 49560? I've not seen where another surgeon makes incision & then the general goes in after making her incision.
INTRAOPERATIVE FINDINGS:
The patient had a 5 cm diameter incisional hernia defect, which was located just to the left of the lower midline, and a significant rectus diastasis.
There was no incarceration. She also had a number of adhesions of fat and bowel to the abdominal wall.
DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE:
Dr. P (Plastic surgeon) began by making a vertical incision directly over the location of the hernia and the diastasis.
Dr. D (General surgeon) cut through the skin and subcutaneous tissue and then down onto the hernia sac. The hernia sac was isolated from the surrounding subcutaneous tissue and then discarded. I palpated the hernia
defect and reduced the fat, which was prolapsing through it. The defect measured about 5 cm in diameter. Next, in order to clear off the abdominal wall for the reconstructive portion of the procedure, I lysed the adhesions of fat and bowel which were attached to the abdominal wall. These adhesions were on the entirety of the abdominal wall and were safely taken down, without evident injury.
*
Following this, Dr. P (Plastic surgeon) performed the reconstruction, which he will dictate separately.
INTRAOPERATIVE FINDINGS:
The patient had a 5 cm diameter incisional hernia defect, which was located just to the left of the lower midline, and a significant rectus diastasis.
There was no incarceration. She also had a number of adhesions of fat and bowel to the abdominal wall.
DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE:
Dr. P (Plastic surgeon) began by making a vertical incision directly over the location of the hernia and the diastasis.
Dr. D (General surgeon) cut through the skin and subcutaneous tissue and then down onto the hernia sac. The hernia sac was isolated from the surrounding subcutaneous tissue and then discarded. I palpated the hernia
defect and reduced the fat, which was prolapsing through it. The defect measured about 5 cm in diameter. Next, in order to clear off the abdominal wall for the reconstructive portion of the procedure, I lysed the adhesions of fat and bowel which were attached to the abdominal wall. These adhesions were on the entirety of the abdominal wall and were safely taken down, without evident injury.
*
Following this, Dr. P (Plastic surgeon) performed the reconstruction, which he will dictate separately.