Q&A: Reporting ablations in ICD-10-PCS

Q: We have a patient who was admitted for an ablation procedure in order to treat his atrial fibrillation (AF). How should we report this in ICD-10-PCS?

A: An ablation is a common form of treatment for AF. In ICD-10-PCS, ablation procedures for treatment of AF are assigned to the root operation Destruction (the physical eradication of all or a portion of a body part by the direct use of energy, force, or a destructive agent).

When ablation procedures are performed to treat AF, it would seem like the body part value would be the atrium (right or left).

However, according to Coding Clinic, Third Quarter 2016, the body part being treated is actually the atrioventricular node, which is assigned to body part character 8: conduction mechanism. The ablation procedure is directed at the pathway for electrical impulses rather the muscular wall of the heart itself. The atrium is not being destroyed.

This procedure can be reported with the following ICD-10-PCS codes:

• 02580ZZ, Destruction of conduction mechanism, open approach
• 02583ZZ, Destruction of conduction mechanism, percutaneous approach
• 02584ZZ, Destruction of conduction mechanism, percutaneous endoscopic approach

Editor’s note: Shannon McCall, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CPC, CEMC, CRC, CCDS, CCDS-O, HCS-D, director of HIM and coding for HCPro in Middleton, Massachusetts, answered this question.

This answer was provided based on limited information. Be sure to review all documentation specific to your own individual scenario before determining appropriate code assignment.

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