Wiki Bleeding thru lungs to Thoracostomy

[judy_vega@hotmail.com]

Help.. Dr. inserted a chest tube for an empyema connected to an underwater seal suction, next day patient had some bleeding requiring revision of tube thoracostomy, with 2-0 Vicryl suture ligatures the bleeding was completely controlled.

I'm stumped at what code to use for the bleeding control.

 

[sunil]

From what I understood from your question I think you can go for 35216

35216

The physician exposes the abnormal blood vessel (arterial or venous) by choosing a thoracic incision appropriate to the involved vessel. The physician examines the abnormal vessel and repairs it by ligation if possible. The physician may repair the vessel by clamping it proximally and distally to the defect, and suturing the defect closed. The physician may repair the vessel by sewing in synthetic graft material or vein material harvested from the patient in order to enlarge the lumen of the repaired vessel (patch graft). The physician confirms vessel patency with Doppler probe or angiography prior to closing the wound. The physician leaves chest and, possibly, mediastinal drains in place. If repair is accomplished with a venous bypass (rather than patch) graft, use 35246. If repair is accomplished with a synthetic bypass (rather than patch) graft, use 35276.

Sunil