ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0U91XZZ

Drainage Ovary, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, External Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemU Female Reproductive System
Operation9 Drainage
Body Part1 Ovary, Left
ApproachX External
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Taking or letting out fluids and/or gases from a body part

Procedure Overview

Drainage procedures remove fluid or gas from a body part in the female reproductive system, most commonly to relieve pressure or infection from a collection such as a pelvic abscess, an infected fallopian tube, or a fluid-filled ovarian cyst. The fluid may be withdrawn with a needle and syringe, through a small incision that is then left open or packed, or via a catheter placed to allow continued drainage over time.

This type of procedure is typically performed when a collection of pus, blood, or cystic fluid is causing pain, fever, or pressure on nearby structures and needs to be evacuated for the patient to improve. Culdocentesis, in which fluid is aspirated from the pouch behind the uterus to evaluate for internal bleeding or infection, and percutaneous or laparoscopic drainage of a tubo-ovarian abscess are typical examples, and the approach can range from a simple office aspiration to a more involved procedure requiring imaging guidance or surgical access.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Ovary, Left

Drainage of the left ovary addresses fluid, pus, or blood collections within or around this gonad, most commonly a hemorrhagic or infected ovarian cyst, an abscess, or a hematoma following torsion or rupture. The procedure can be accomplished percutaneously under ultrasound guidance, laparoscopically, or through an open approach, with the choice influenced by the collection's size, the patient's stability, and whether concurrent pelvic pathology needs evaluation. Since the left ovary lies near the sigmoid colon and left ureter, image-guided aspiration is favored when feasible to reduce injury risk. Coders should verify the operative note identifies the ovary as the source of drained fluid rather than an adjacent structure, and note whether a drainage device remained in place after the procedure.

Approach: External

External approach applies to procedures performed directly on the skin or mucous membrane, or on an accessible body surface, without any instrumentation passing through a puncture or orifice. It covers things like manual reduction of a fracture or excision of a skin lesion. It differs from Via Natural or Artificial Opening in that no internal passage is entered at all, only the exposed surface.

Coding & Documentation

Supporting documentation should describe fluid or gas being taken or let out of a specific body part, along with the method of access - needle aspiration, incision and drainage, or catheter placement - and whether the drainage device was left in place afterward. If a drainage catheter remains after the procedure, the encounter is typically coded with the qualifier indicating a device was left in, and coders need to check the note carefully for that detail since it changes the code selection even though the root operation stays Drainage. A common mistake is coding Drainage when the procedure actually involved removing an entire fluid-filled structure, such as a cyst, along with its wall, which should instead be coded as Excision or Resection of the cyst.

Commonly Confused With

ExcisionDrainage is frequently confused with Excision when a cyst is involved, since both can be described as 'removing' a cyst; the distinguishing detail is whether only the fluid contents were withdrawn (Drainage) or the cyst wall itself was cut out (Excision).
ExtirpationIt is also distinct from Extirpation, which removes solid matter such as clotted blood or debris rather than free fluid, and from Fragmentation, which breaks up solid material in place without necessarily removing it from the body.