ICD-10-PCS Billable Code

0QW83JZ

Revision Femoral Shaft, Right to No Qualifier with Synthetic Substitute, Percutaneous Approach

Procedural Specifications

Clinical Axis Detail Definition
Section0 Medical and Surgical
Body SystemQ Lower Bones
OperationW Revision
Body Part8 Femoral Shaft, Right
Approach3 Percutaneous
DeviceJ Synthetic Substitute
QualifierZ No Qualifier

Operation Definition

Correcting, to the extent possible, a portion of a malfunctioning device or the position of a displaced device

Procedure Overview

Revision procedures address a device that was previously implanted in a lower bone - such as a rod, plate, screw, or bone cement construct - when it has shifted position, is malfunctioning, or is otherwise not working as intended. The bone itself is not the primary target; the hardware or material within or against it is.

These procedures are common after orthopedic fixation surgery when follow-up imaging or symptoms reveal that a fixation device has loosened, backed out, broken, or migrated. Surgeons go back in to reposition, tighten, repair, or otherwise correct the existing device to the extent possible, aiming to avoid a full device replacement if the original hardware can still function once adjusted.

Anatomy & Axis Detail

Femoral Shaft, Right

The right femoral shaft is the long diaphyseal segment of the thighbone typically stabilized with an intramedullary rod or plate and screws after a mid-shaft fracture, given the powerful surrounding musculature that makes this bone prone to significant displacement forces. Revision here addresses hardware complications such as a bent or broken rod, screw loosening at the locking sites, or malunion-related hardware stress, problems that can develop as the shaft bears axial and torsional loads during healing and weight-bearing. Because the femoral shaft has a rich blood supply and heals relatively predictably when fixation is sound, revision surgery is usually prompted by mechanical hardware failure rather than nonunion alone. The code covers correcting the existing device in the right femoral shaft, not its initial placement or outright removal.

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.

Device: Synthetic Substitute

Synthetic Substitute designates a device made from manufactured, non-biologic material, such as mesh or prosthetic components, used to replace or augment a body part. It is distinguished from the two tissue substitute categories by its artificial composition, which carries different considerations for integration and long-term durability than biologic grafts.

Coding & Documentation

The documentation needs to describe correction of a device already in place - repositioning a displaced screw, replacing a broken segment of a rod, or repairing a malfunctioning fixation component - rather than removal of the device followed by insertion of a brand-new one. If the surgeon fully swaps out the device rather than fixing the one already present, Removal plus Insertion or Replacement is usually the more accurate combination.

A frequent assignment mistake is coding Revision for a straightforward hardware removal with no correction performed, or for a first-time hardware placement. Coders should also verify the correct body part value reflects the bone where the device sits, since Revision codes are structured around device location rather than the device type itself.

Commonly Confused With

RemovalRemoval is the most easily confused pairing - it applies when a device is taken out without a corrective adjustment to a remaining device, whereas Revision specifically means correcting a device that stays in place or is being adjusted.
ReplacementReplacement comes into play when the malfunctioning device is swapped entirely for a new one rather than repaired, which changes both the root operation and often the body part logic.
RepairRepair is reserved for correcting the bone tissue itself if it was damaged, separate from correcting the hardware.