Wiki Interventional Radiologist Coding

medcode

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I have an IR physician who removes a VAD by cutting the sutures and removing with firm traction can any one tell me if coding 36589 is acceptable. He does not place a catheter back into the line for removal, just pulls it, which is part of the description in the Coders' Desk Reference.

Thanks for any help
 
not enough information to really say for certain. Is this a tunneled Central Venous Access Device or non-tunneled? (assuming it is because that's the code area you're looking under) was local anesthesia used? What code was used for the placement of the VAD? (just curious)
 
I am posting the exact IR report for your review:

Procedure and Findings: After obtaining informed consent, the patient's right neck and chest wall, including a previously placed tunneled dialysis catheter, were prepped and draped in usual sterile fashion. Soft tissues along the subcutaneous catheter track were anesthetized with 5 cc of lidocaine. Using firm traction, the catheter was removed intact. There was immediate hemostasis. A sterile dressing was applied.

The patient tolerated the procedure without incident, and left the department in stable condition.



not enough information to really say for certain. Is this a tunneled Central Venous Access Device or non-tunneled? (assuming it is because that's the code area you're looking under) was local anesthesia used? What code was used for the placement of the VAD? (just curious)
 
was the tunn. cath removed or the VAD? that's unclear...
 
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