If a lesion was removed from the colon, and the surgeon reports it as a distance in centimeters from the anal verge rather than the name of the location, what is recommended for reporting the location with ICD-9 or ICD-10?
Consider the diagram here:
http://training.seer.cancer.gov/colorectal/anatomy/figure/figure1.html
For example, if the surgeon reports having removed a lesion at 20 cm, should that be coded as from the sigmoid or unspecified? Knowing that those measurements are considered an average for all persons, can we definitively use a code as specific as for the sigmoid?
Consider the diagram here:
http://training.seer.cancer.gov/colorectal/anatomy/figure/figure1.html
For example, if the surgeon reports having removed a lesion at 20 cm, should that be coded as from the sigmoid or unspecified? Knowing that those measurements are considered an average for all persons, can we definitively use a code as specific as for the sigmoid?