Question:
Seeking clarification – we are seeing coding differences between the hospital and the professional coder.
Scenario: A surgeon who performs a panniculectomy with repositioning of the belly button. Should this be coded as 15830, or is it 15830 & 15847?
Answer:
Great question — An abdominoplasty (15847) involves significantly more work than a panniculectomy (15830) – work such as fascial and or muscle plication. Additionally, abdominoplasty is typically performed for cosmetic purposes.
When a surgeon repositions the umbilicus during a panniculectomy, that work is considered inherent to the procedure and is not separately reportable. Therefore, only 15830 should be billed in this scenario.
Thank you for reaching out to KZA!
*This response is based on the best information available as of 10/15/26.
