When a patient presents for outpatient surgery but surgery is not performed due to a contraindication, the reason for the surgery is coded as
A) the etiology and manifestation.
B) a combination code.
C) the second-listed diagnosis.
D) the first-listed diagnosis.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a patient presents for outpatient surgery but the surgery is not performed due to a contraindication, the reason for the surgery (the condition that was supposed to be treated or addressed by the surgery) is coded as the first-listed diagnosis. This approach ensures that the primary reason for the encounter is accurately captured, even if the planned procedure was not completed.

When a Patient Presents for Outpatient Surgery but Surgery Is