Billing during post op period

The surgeon does component separation technique for repairing recurrant ventral hernias. During the healing process seromas form and must be drained during the post op visits. Can these be billed and how? The procedure is done in the office using our own supplies and sometimes the ultrasound. Some patients have more trouble than others, and so this procedure may be done multiple times on a single patient.

re: Billing during post op period

As this can be anticipated and expected in some cases as a complication of recurrent ventral hernias, then it would fall within the global package of being inclusive and not billable.

However, since I am not familiar with this field, only on the generic coding aspect of it, someone may have a different answer. I did do a search on the complications of this procedure and seromas was on the list. Any other comments?

SURGICAL GLOBAL PACKAGE:
The following components constitute a common global surgical package when performed by the same physician:
• Preoperative Visits: Preoperative visits after the decision is made to operate beginning with the day before the day of surgery for major procedures and the day of surgery for minor procedures.
• Intraoperative Services : Intraoperative services that are normally a usual and necessary part of a surgical procedure.
• Complications Following Surgery: All routine additional medical or surgical services required of the surgeon during the postoperative period of the surgery including complications which do not require additional trips to the operating room; also includes writing orders, talking with the family, evaluating the patient in the post-anesthesia recovery area.