ICD-9-CM: 997.4 Makes Way for Four New Codes for Bariatric Procedures

Proposed ICD-9-CM code set for 2012 has changes for gastric band or bariatric procedures, pelvic circle fracture codes, skin cancer dx and more.

If the proposed ICD-9 CM codes become final, starting October 1 this year you will have four new codes to report complications of gastric band or bariatric procedures. This time you will get 539.xx and other new, invalid and revised codes that will have an impact on your general surgery practices.

Bariatric surgery or gastric band procedure: Presently, complications related to these are indexed to 997.4 as there is no secondary code to use. But all that is set to change on October 1, 2011 if the proposed codes - 539.01, 539.09, 539.81 and 539.89 - become final. When these codes go into effect, you can start reporting bariatric/gastric band complications with one of these four codes.

Note: ICD-9 adds an 'excludes' note to 997.4, and directs coders to these just-in codes.

These four codes come with a lot of advantages: The existing code 997.4 does not distinguish digestive system complications from bariatric or gastric band surgeries from complications owing to any other procedures or conditions. These new codes provide better data collection for bariatric and gastric band procedures.

Skin excision & ICD-9 2012: Apart from these changes, ICD-9 2012 proposed changes will expand 10 present codes to 40 new codes that you will have to use when your surgeon carries out a skin excision. Skin site distinguishes the 10 existing codes (173.0-173.9) that will become invalid.

Although the same site distinctions remain in the just-in codes, ICD-9 2012 adds a fifth digit to each four digit code to differentiate cancer type.

Here are four fifth digits to distinguish each site-specific four digit code based on neoplasm details:
 

• 0 -- Unspecified malignant neoplasm of
• 1 -- Basal cell carcinoma of
• 2 -- Squamous cell carcinoma of
• 9 -- Other specified malignant neoplasm of

Pelvic circle fracture code search: Under ICD-9 2012 , there will be more precise coding choices as far as pelvic fracture codes are concerned.