Pregnency Delivery Coding

Do be afraid of pregnancy delivery coding. It is one of the most easiest coding as most of the procedures and ICD codes are routine. Usually the patient arrives for supervision or with abdominal pain and then starts getting contractions leading to delivery. Here we will be concentrating on procedure codes only. Here we discuss some of the commonly used procedures during labor and delivery.

ICD 9 CM obstetrical codes: 72-75
If the patient delivers spontaneously without any surgical intervention then we need to 73.59 "Manually assisted Delivery."

Rotation of fetal head
If physician performs rotation of fetal head in case of breech presentation with or without success before delivery and this can be represented by code
72.4 Forceps rotation of fetal head (key-in-lock rotation)
73.51 Manual rotation of fetal head

The physician may choose to induce labor for some reasons and this is represented by
73.01 Artificial rupture of membranes for induction of labor
Also the physician may induce artificial rupture of membranes after the onset of labor and this is represented by 73.09.

Forceps
For low forceps, high forceps, and mid forceps operation appropriate codes from category 72 should be used.

73.3 Failed forceps
This code should be used for failed forceps or trial forceps.

Episiotomy 73.6
If episiotomy if performed then 73.6 should be used. This code includes episiorrhaphy and should not be used if forceps are used or vacuum extraction is used for delivery if which case appropriate forceps and vacuum extraction codes should be used.

Cesarean section
If cesarean section is done along with hysterectomy, myomectomy, and sterlization then these should be coded separately.