07PN0DZ
Removal Lymphatic to No Qualifier with Intraluminal Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | 7 Lymphatic and Hemic Systems |
| Operation | P Removal |
| Body Part | N Lymphatic |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | D Intraluminal Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Taking out or off a device from a body part
Procedure Overview
This family covers taking out a device that was previously placed in a lymphatic or hemic structure, such as a drain left in the splenic bed after surgery, a catheter used to manage a lymphatic leak, or a mesh or other implant associated with the spleen or thymus. The device itself is being removed; no tissue is being cut away or repaired in the process. These procedures are typically staged after an earlier operation, once the device has served its purpose - controlling drainage, supporting healing, or monitoring a surgical site.
For patients, this is usually a straightforward, low-risk step in recovery rather than a major operation, though it is still coded as a distinct procedure because it involves entering the body to retrieve the device.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Lymphatic
This category covers excision of lymphatic vessels or nodes from a body region rather than a named solitary organ, applicable to procedures like regional lymph node dissection or removal of diseased lymphatic channels affecting drainage from an extremity, the neck, or trunk. Lymphatic tissue here serves as a network of vessels and filtering nodes rather than a single discrete structure, so removal is typically driven by cancer staging, suspected malignant involvement, or lymphedema management rather than isolated organ disease. Because lymph nodes act as sentinels for metastatic spread, documentation must specify the body region and whether removal was partial, since the extent taken directly affects staging accuracy and subsequent treatment planning. This differs from removal of a solitary named lymphatic structure like the spleen or thymus, which are coded under their own specific body part values.
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.
Device: Intraluminal Device
Intraluminal Device denotes a single device, such as a stent or occlusion device, positioned within the lumen of a tubular body part like a vessel, duct, or airway to maintain patency or occlude flow. It carries no drug coating or radioactivity, distinguishing it from the drug-eluting, radioactive, and bioactive intraluminal device values, and from Extraluminal Device, which sits outside rather than inside the lumen.
Coding & Documentation
Coders need documentation identifying the specific device removed and confirming that removal is the entire action - if the surgeon also repairs tissue, replaces the device, or performs any other procedure during the same encounter, additional codes are needed alongside or instead of Removal. A frequent error is coding Removal when a device is actually being exchanged for a new one in the same body part; ICD-10-PCS handles a straight swap differently than a removal followed by a separate insertion. Another pitfall is confusing removal of a device from the lymphatic system with removal of a device from an adjacent structure (such as a vascular access line running near lymph nodes) - the device must be recorded against the lymphatic or hemic body part it was actually seated in.