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ZHealth Coding Newsletter - February 2015

February 2015 Q & A

Question: Heart Transplant - Congenital Versus Non-congenital

There has been much back and forth over the years as to whether or not congenital heart transplant patients should continue to be reported as congenital for heart catheterization coding purposes. Physicians state that “once congenital always congenital”, but I've understood from consultant recommendations that unless the new heart has a congenital defect or complex rerouting of vessels due to congenital cardiac anatomy, then all heart caths for transplant patients are coded as non-congenital. Can you please clarify?