0TS20ZZ
Reposition Kidneys, Bilateral 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 | S Reposition |
| Body Part | 2 Kidneys, Bilateral |
| 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 a urinary structure to its normal location or to another suitable position when it has become displaced or malformed. A well-known example is correcting a horseshoe kidney or a kidney that has dropped from its normal position, and pyeloplasty performed to relocate and reshape the ureteropelvic junction so urine can drain properly.
These procedures address problems that are fundamentally about location or orientation rather than tissue damage - a kidney sitting too low, a ureter that takes an abnormal course, or a congenital anomaly discovered in childhood or found incidentally in an adult. Surgeons free the structure from surrounding attachments and fix it in its corrected position, sometimes with permanent sutures or mesh.
Because the underlying tissue is retained and simply relocated, Reposition differs from procedures that remove, replace, or reinforce urinary tissue.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Kidneys, Bilateral
Bilateral kidney repositioning involves relocating both kidneys in the same operative episode, a scenario that arises with bilateral nephroptosis, symmetric ectopia, or bilateral horseshoe kidney anomalies where both renal masses require fixation to normal retroperitoneal position. Because horseshoe kidneys are fused across the midline, mobilizing and repositioning them, sometimes combined with division of an isthmus performed elsewhere in the operation, differs technically from addressing two entirely separate organs, and the surgeon must secure each renal pole without compromising the crossing vasculature that frequently accompanies fused or ectopic kidneys. This bilateral body part value applies only when both kidneys are repositioned during the same procedure; if only one side is treated, or the two sides are addressed as clearly separate objectives, the single-kidney values apply instead, so the operative note should be read carefully to confirm true bilateral treatment.
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
The operative note needs to describe the structure being moved and confirm that the objective was relocation rather than removal or reconstruction with foreign material. This includes procedures for undescended or ectopic kidneys, correction of ureteral malposition, and pyeloplasty when it is performed primarily to reposition the renal pelvis and ureter rather than to excise a stricture.
A common error is coding pyeloplasty as Repair when the surgeon's actual technique involved detaching and relocating the ureteropelvic segment, which fits Reposition more precisely. Coders should also watch for procedures that combine repositioning with excision of a narrowed segment, since both root operations may need to be captured depending on what was documented.