Wiki ABThera closure of abdomen

[lmchiatto@yahoo.com]

Please help! The physician placed an ABThera vac after a small bowel resection on a patient with an ischemic bowel.

As per the physician the ABThera closure is not a normal vac it goes inside the entire abdominal cavity and states it is similar to a "bogota bag" and is disposable.

I have never coded any thing like this, wasn't sure if the typical wound vac code applies? 97607 or 08?

I am lost.

Any direction in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[igrigoras@iowaclinic.com]

Please help! The physician placed an ABThera vac after a small bowel resection on a patient with an ischemic bowel.

As per the physician the ABThera closure is not a normal vac it goes inside the entire abdominal cavity and states it is similar to a "bogota bag" and is disposable.

I have never coded any thing like this, wasn't sure if the typical wound vac code applies? 97607 or 08?

I am lost.

Any direction in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Anyone has any info on the above?

 

[daniel]

If the wound site has been surgically closed, and a wound vac is placed over the closed wound site, then the use of the wound vac is not separately reportable, as it is being used as a dressing.

But if it's hasn't been surgically closed, you can code for it 97605-97606. I see this alot on my end... The closure usually done later, so we'll code for the wound vac in this context.

 

[igrigoras@iowaclinic.com]

If the wound site has been surgically closed, and a wound vac is placed over the closed wound site, then the use of the wound vac is not separately reportable, as it is being used as a dressing.

But if it's hasn't been surgically closed, you can code for it 97605-97606. I see this alot on my end... The closure usually done later, so we'll code for the wound vac in this context.

But they still need to document the size correct otherwise we can't bill it.

 

[daniel]

no size, then our left to first code 97605 surface area less than or equal to 50.