Ask Dr. Z

We would sure appreciate your advice. We have a physician who performs paracentesis with an angiocatheter. She does not feel that is necessary to document that the catheter was removed at the end of the procedure because she states that "it is common sense that an angiocatheter cannot be left in the belly". Can we report this to as a paracentesis with code 49083, or do we need to use code 49406 because the documentation doesn't reflect that the catheter was removed? We also have a similar situation with a thoracentesis. She doesn't document removing the catheter (angiocatheter), and she is tellling us that "if she doesn't state it was sutured to the skin then she removed it". Please advise.