0DT87ZZ
Resection Small Intestine to No Qualifier with No Device, Via Natural or Artificial Opening Approach
Procedural Specifications
| Clinical Axis | Detail Definition |
|---|---|
| Section | 0 Medical and Surgical |
| Body System | D Gastrointestinal System |
| Operation | T Resection |
| Body Part | 8 Small Intestine |
| Approach | 7 Via Natural or Artificial Opening |
| Device | Z No Device |
| Qualifier | Z No Qualifier |
Operation Definition
Cutting out or off, without replacement, all of a body part
Procedure Overview
Resection describes the surgical removal of an entire gastrointestinal organ or a clearly defined anatomic segment of one, without putting anything in its place. Common examples include total gastrectomy for stomach cancer, complete removal of the appendix, and total colectomy for severe ulcerative colitis, where the entire designated body part as defined by the coding system is taken out rather than just a portion of it.
Surgeons choose resection when disease, most often cancer, severe inflammatory conditions, or irreversible ischemic damage, affects an entire organ or a segment that the classification treats as a whole unit, such as the cecum or the sigmoid colon. The remaining ends of the digestive tract are typically reconnected in the same operation, restoring continuity, though in some cases a stoma is created instead when reconnection is not immediately safe.
Anatomy & Axis Detail
Small Intestine
This value applies when the small intestine is resected as a whole without documentation specifying which of its three named subdivisions was involved, or when the excised segment spans across duodenal, jejunal, and ileal boundaries. The small intestine is the primary site of nutrient absorption, and its resection is performed for conditions such as extensive Crohn's disease, mesenteric ischemia, volvulus, or diffuse tumor involvement that crosses anatomic segments. Because absorptive capacity and the risk of short bowel syndrome depend heavily on how much small bowel is removed, surgeons document resection length and the segments involved whenever possible. Coders should default to this general body part only when the operative report genuinely does not localize the resection to the duodenum, jejunum, or ileum specifically; otherwise the more precise segmental code should be used.
Approach: Via Natural or Artificial Opening
Via Natural or Artificial Opening means the instrument reaches the target site by passing through an existing body orifice, such as the mouth or urethra, or a surgically created opening like a stoma, without additional incision or scope guidance. It is distinguished from the Endoscopic variant by the absence of a visualizing scope, and from External by actually traversing into the body through that opening.
Coding & Documentation
The key documentation requirement is that the entire body part, as defined by the specific GI body part value, was removed, not merely a partial excision of tissue from within it. When only part of a segment is taken, such as a wedge of stomach tissue, the correct root operation is Excision rather than Resection, which is one of the most common assignment errors in this family. Coders must also identify whether an anastomosis, stoma, or other reconstruction was performed and code that separately from the resection itself, since the two are distinct steps. Clear identification of the specific segment removed, such as right colon versus left colon versus total colon, is essential because each maps to a different body part value.