0TM70ZZ
Reattachment Ureter, Left to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | T Urinary System |
| Operation | M Reattachment |
| Body Part | 7 Ureter, Left |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Putting back in or on all or a portion of a separated body part to its normal location or other suitable location
Procedure Overview
Reattachment procedures restore a urinary structure that has been separated from the body, or from its normal position, back to where it belongs. In practice this most often means reimplanting a ureter that was cut during trauma or surgery back onto the bladder, or reconnecting a kidney's blood supply and ureter during a transplant. The goal is to reestablish the normal anatomic path so urine can drain as it did before the structure was detached.
This is a distinct and less commonly performed procedure than repair, since it specifically addresses a body part that was physically severed, whether by injury, by surgical necessity, or as part of a planned transplant, rather than one that is damaged but still attached.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Ureter, Left
The left ureter carries urine from the left kidney to the bladder, passing near the sigmoid colon and gonadal vessels along its retroperitoneal course, and reattachment refers to surgically restoring continuity after the ureter has been completely divided, most often from iatrogenic injury during gynecologic or colorectal surgery, penetrating trauma, or planned division and reimplantation in complex reconstructive cases. As with the right side, the delicate segmental blood supply of ureteral tissue makes precise, tension-free reanastomosis essential, typically supported by a temporary ureteral stent to keep the repair patent during healing. The left-sided designation reflects this ureter's specific anatomic relationships and the surgical approach used, distinguishing outcomes and technique from right ureteral reattachment.
Approach: Open
Open approach means the surgeon cuts through skin, mucous membrane, or other tissue layers to physically expose the target site to view before performing the procedure. It gives direct visualization and hands-on access, distinguishing it from Percutaneous approaches where instruments pass through a small puncture without exposing the site. Open is typical for procedures needing wide access, such as most laparotomies.
Coding & Documentation
For a code from this family, documentation must show that a body part was completely detached and then physically reconnected, such as a ureter transected during pelvic surgery and reimplanted into the bladder wall. The note should specify which structure was reattached and to what location, since reattachment to the original site versus a new location can affect code selection.
A frequent coding error is applying Reattachment to a ureteral reimplantation performed for reasons other than traumatic or surgical separation, such as a planned ureteroneocystostomy done to bypass a diseased ureteral segment; if the ureter was never fully detached, Reattachment does not apply and Repair or a different root operation is more accurate. Coders should also verify that vascular reattachment during a kidney transplant is captured with the appropriate body part and qualifier reflecting the transplant context.