Billing for an iatrogenic injury, my patient.

Question:

The surgeon reported an intestinal perforation caused by a trocar during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to extensive adhesions.  He completed the cholecystectomy and also did a suture repair of one perforation of the small intestine. How is this reported?

Answer:

Iatrogenic, intraoperative complications that are repaired at the same operative session are not separately reported. Since the small bowel perforation was an iatrogenic injury, inadvertently done by the surgeon during a surgery, it is not reported. Only the cholecystectomy should be reported.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 06/06/19.