Full Answer
Code 998.83, Nonhealing surgical wound, has been created to better describe health care encounters for treatment of such wounds. Nonhealing nonsurgical wounds are coded to the wound.
If there is a document reason for non healing then you would use the complication of surgery code and you would use the A character as this would be active treatment for a complication. I use the dehiscence as an example of what could be a surgical complication.
Any suggestions for specifically coding non-healing surgical wounds in ICE10? There is nothing specific for "non-healing surgical wound" or for a surgical wound by site, ie. "non-healing surgical abdominal wound".
My best guess is to code T81.89XS and S31.109D (the patient has an open wound due to a surgical procedure that is slow to heal but is NOT dehisced or infected, so it is an complication of surgery-sequela/open wound in the healing status) Vernell Hester. COC
998.83 - Non-healing surgical wound | ICD-10-CM.
Encounter for change or removal of surgical wound dressing 01 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM Z48. 01 became effective on October 1, 2021. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of Z48.
This article addresses the CPT/HCPCS and ICD-10 codes associated with L37228 Wound Care policy.
2. A non-healing wound, such as an ulcer, is not coded with an injury code beginning with the letter S. Four common codes are L97-, “non-pressure ulcers”; L89-, “pressure ulcers”; I83-, “varicose veins with ulcers”; and I70.
Surgical wound dehiscence (SWD) has been defined as the separation of the margins of a closed surgical incision that has been made in skin, with or without exposure or protrusion of underlying tissue, organs, or implants.
ICD-10-CM Code for Infection following a procedure T81. 4.
The wound care (97597-97598) and debridement codes (11042-11047) are used for debridement of wounds that are intended to heal by secondary intention. Some conditions that support medical necessity include infections, chronic venous ulcers, and diabetic ulcers, to name a few.
Dressings applied to the wound are part of the services for CPT codes 97597, 97598 and 97602 and they may not be billed separately. It is not appropriate to report CPT code 97602 in addition to CPT code 97597 and/or 97598 for wound care performed on the same wound on the same date of service.
The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM Z48. 817 became effective on October 1, 2021. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of Z48.
A non-healing wound is a wound that doesn't heal within five to eight weeks, even though you've been following your provider's instructions to take care of it. This can be very serious, because it can become infected and lead to an illness or even the loss of a limb.
AHA offers materials designed to supplement classroom work and exercises in the ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding Handbook. Available materials include slide decks covering the key points of each chapter and exercise test banks.
Revised March 24, 2021