Wiki Control of post op bleeder

[codedog]

Patient had an adenoidectomy at our ASC early in moring. Patient came back same day later in afternoon for a postoperative adenoidectomy bleeding.
CPT code to choose from are 42970 -42972
which one is best for asc

opeartive report read as follow- after atisfactory anesthesia was established, the Jrnnings mouth gag was inserted. The clots were removed from the nasopharynx, the nose and nasopharynx were irrigated, and difuse low grade bleding from the adenoid bed was identified and controlled with cautery. The area was carefully obserrved fora period of about 10 min, and no futher bleeding occured. Silver nitrate was applied to the anenoid bed.

CPT CODE 42970- SOUNDS SIMPLE , BUT IT DOES SAY CAUTERY
CPT CODE 42971- SAYS REQUIRING HOSPIALIZATION -WE ARE ASC
CPT CODE 42972 -SAYS SURGICAL INTERVENTION- ? NOT SURE WHAT THEY MEANT

i AM GUESSING 42970 WITH A MODIFER 78 ?????????

 

[preserene]

I feel the code 42970 with the modifier perfectly describes the scenerio.
Complicated when we find it is not amenable with this simple procedure of controlof the bleeder, or the patient came with severe bleeding in as to hypovolaemic shock etc.

Secondary surgical intervention means the patient needed another major or minor surgical procedure say, involving anesthesia and/ opening up the previous wound or site , explore, catch the bleeding vessel with instruments and make reinforcing suture or even some major surgical procedure involving extension of the wound and deep exploration of surrounding anatomical tissues and sites/ an dthier damage,suture major vessels stuff like that.
Hope you get my point.
Thank you for tuning in.

 

[codedog]

thank you preserene , theway youexplain it makes more sense-thanks