Q&A Wound VAC Placement Coding

[DiCamille]

Our general surgeon has described the procedure as:
Exploratory laparotomy with drainage of anterior abdominal/pelvic abscess with debridement of abdominal wall with placement of wound VAC device.

Would 97605 be appropriate in this setting?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[Laureen]

It sounds right to me DiCamille. Supercoder says for thet code

Clinical Responsibility
The provider cleans and checks the wound, with total surface area less than or equal to 50 square centimeters, for absence of sinus tracts and fistulas. He then attaches a foam sponge, of the size and depth of the wound, over the wound using a transparent film. The film should be such that it provides a rigid seal. The provider then inserts suction tubing into the dressing through an opening in the transparent film and connects the tubing to a negative pressure therapy pump. He activates the pump. During the therapy, the provider observes the patient for signs of distress. He also ensures proper functioning of the equipment and the need to replace the canister where the suctioned material accumulates. He also instructs the patient or caregiver on how to provide care for the wound.

And there is a new code for 2015 now 97607 which emphasizes using disposable equipment.

You should be able to code for drainage/debridement but we'd need more details to suggest codes for that.

In googling around I found this presentation Chronic Would Care from the Inside Out - it's 2012 but still seems relevant. Warning - some gross pictures on this one!

 

[DiCamille]

It sounds right to me DiCamille. Supercoder says for thet code



And there is a new code for 2015 now 97607 which emphasizes using disposable equipment.

You should be able to code for drainage/debridement but we'd need more details to suggest codes for that.

In googling around I found this presentation Chronic Would Care from the Inside Out - it's 2012 but still seems relevant. Warning - some gross pictures on this one!

Thanks for your time, Laureen, and your speedy response! You were right about gross pics ~ thanks for that warning! However, the visuals certainly help. We chose the 11005 procedure based on his procedure description. He did not say anything about the abscess w/i the body of the note. A query has been sent to him before we finalize our claim.

 

[Cathy Visconti]

I work trauma and code a lot of wound vacs and found that they would not pay for the initial placement of the Vac but would for the changing of them.

 

[DiCamille]

I work trauma and code a lot of wound vacs and found that they would not pay for the initial placement of the Vac but would for the changing of them.

I'll certainly keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip, Cathy!