04S80ZZ
Reposition Colic Artery, Middle to No Qualifier with No Device, Open Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | 4 Lower Arteries |
| Operation | S Reposition |
| Body Part | 8 Colic Artery, Middle |
| Approach | 0 Open |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Moving to its normal location, or other suitable location, all or a portion of a body part
Procedure Overview
Reposition procedures move an artery, or a segment of one, to a different location or restore it to its proper anatomic position without removing tissue or adding replacement material. In the lower extremities and pelvis this is an uncommon but important root operation, most often encountered when an artery has been displaced by trauma, congenital anomaly, or a prior surgical dissection and needs to be moved to a location where it functions correctly or does not interfere with another planned procedure.
Examples include transposing a renal or iliac artery during complex aortic reconstruction, or relocating a vessel during organ transplantation to create adequate inflow to a transplanted kidney. The vessel itself is not resected or replaced; it is detached at one end and reattached in a new position or orientation.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Colic Artery, Middle
The middle colic artery arises from the superior mesenteric artery and travels through the transverse mesocolon to supply the transverse colon, feeding into the marginal artery arcade that anastomoses with branches from both the right and left colic systems. Because it sits at a watershed point between the embryonic midgut and hindgut circulations, surgeons handle it cautiously during extensive bowel or pancreatic resections. Reposition applies when this vessel is mobilized and moved to a new anatomic course, such as redirecting it around a resected segment or reattaching it at an altered takeoff point to preserve colonic perfusion, without cutting across its lumen or excising tissue. Documentation should specify the new vascular route and confirm that arcade continuity to the colon was maintained after relocation.
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
Coders need operative documentation that clearly states the artery was moved to a new location, not simply exposed, clamped, or repaired in place, since Reposition requires an actual change in anatomic position. The note should specify the originating and destination location of the vessel, which affects the body part value selected.
A frequent mistake is coding a transposition performed as part of a larger transplant or bypass procedure as a separate Reposition when it is actually an integral, non-separately-reportable step of the main procedure. Coders also sometimes confuse temporary retraction or mobilization of a vessel during exposure, which is not coded at all, with true Reposition, which requires a permanent relocation.