ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0DQB3ZZ

Repair Ileum to No Qualifier with No Device, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemD Gastrointestinal System
OperationQ Repair
Body PartB Ileum
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceZ No Device
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Restoring, to the extent possible, a body part to its normal anatomic structure and function

Procedure Overview

Repair procedures in the gastrointestinal system cover the surgical closure or reconstruction of a digestive organ that has been torn, perforated, or otherwise damaged, when no other specific repair method already describes the fix. Surgeons turn to this approach after trauma such as a stab wound to the bowel, a perforated ulcer that has eaten through the stomach wall, an anastomotic leak following prior surgery, or an iatrogenic injury discovered during an unrelated abdominal operation. The goal is simply to restore the organ's structural integrity so it can resume its normal role in digestion, whether that means stitching a hole in the small intestine or closing a fistula tract between the colon and bladder.

Because the digestive tract runs from the esophagus to the rectum, repair here can mean anything from suturing an esophageal perforation to closing a gastric wall defect or oversewing a colonic laceration. Patients typically need this kind of surgery on an urgent or emergent basis, since untreated perforations lead to peritonitis and sepsis, though elective repairs of chronic fistulas or hernia-related defects also fall into this category.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Ileum

The ileum, the longest and most distal segment of the small intestine, connects to the cecum at the ileocecal valve and is a frequent site of repair for perforations related to Crohn disease, blunt trauma, incarcerated hernia with ischemic injury, or inadvertent injury during laparoscopic procedures in the right lower quadrant. Its relatively narrower diameter and lower blood flow near the terminal segment make surgeons attentive to avoiding luminal narrowing when closing a defect, since strictures here can precipitate obstruction. Repair is typically performed by primary suture closure or stapled closure of a laceration or enterotomy without removing bowel length, distinguishing it from resection performed for the same underlying disease; the operative report should clarify whether any segment was excised before this code is assigned.

Approach: Percutaneous

Percutaneous describes entry by needle or instrument puncture through the skin or mucous membrane to reach the site of the procedure, without cutting the tissue open or using a visualizing scope. It differs from Open in that the site itself is never exposed, and from Percutaneous Endoscopic in that no endoscope is used to see internal structures. Common examples include needle biopsies and injections.

Coding & Documentation

This root operation applies only when the documentation describes a suture, staple, or other closure technique aimed at restoring anatomy, and no dedicated root operation such as Bypass, Occlusion, or Restriction better captures the intent. The operative note must specify the organ repaired and the technique used, since Repair is the default, catch-all code whenever a more specific term does not fit. A common assignment error is coding Repair when the documentation actually supports Resection with reconnection, or when a hernia repair with mesh should instead be captured as Supplement. Coders also need to confirm laterality is not applicable here, since most GI structures are midline, and to verify whether the repair was open, percutaneous, or via a natural or artificial opening.

Commonly Confused With

SupplementRepair is frequently confused with Supplement, which applies when mesh or another reinforcing material is placed to augment a weakened area rather than simply closing a defect with the native tissue.
RestrictionIt is also confused with Restriction, used when a procedure narrows a lumen such as gastric banding, and with Occlusion, which completely closes off a passage rather than restoring one that was damaged.
ResectionWhen a segment of bowel is removed and the ends reconnected, the correct code is Resection paired with the appropriate anastomosis coding, not Repair.