An operative note reads: 'Performed a partial nephrectomy for a lower-pole renal mass, with care to preserve the ureteropelvic junction.' Before assigning a urinary-system code, the coder must confirm which body system these structures belong to and what the suffix -ectomy signifies here. What does the documented procedure describe?
- ASurgical fixation of part of a gland of the endocrine system
- BSurgical removal of part of an organ of the urinary system Correct
- CSurgical creation of an opening into an organ of the respiratory system
- DSurgical repair of a vessel of the cardiovascular system
Why A is wrong: The suffix -pexy means fixation, not the -ectomy in the note, and the kidney is urinary, not endocrine, so both halves are wrong despite the adrenal gland sitting nearby.
Why B is correct: Nephr/o means kidney and -ectomy means excision, so partial nephrectomy is removal of part of the kidney, a urinary-system organ, matching the documented resection.
Why C is wrong: The suffix -stomy means a new opening; -ectomy is excision, and nephro refers to kidney, not a respiratory structure, so this misreads both the suffix and the system.
Why D is wrong: The suffix -rrhaphy or -plasty would signal repair, and the renal vessels are cardiovascular, but the note excises kidney tissue, so this confuses adjacent vasculature with the organ removed.