By Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA | August 6th, 2025

Imagine a kidney getting ready for the big day—moving to a new home! But, before this precious organ makes its journey, it needs something special: a pair of pajamas. Not the flannel kind, but a high-tech, silicone “Kidney PJ” designed to keep it cool and comfy during surgery.

What Are Kidney Pajamas?

Kidney pajamas, officially called the kidney protective insulation jacket, are like a cozy cover for a donor kidney. Made from biocompatible silicone, these removable jackets wrap around the kidney to keep it at the perfect chilly temperature during a transplant. The PJs help the kidney stay in a hypothermic (cold) state, which is crucial for its health during the procedure and beyond.

Why Do Kidneys Need Pajamas?

Every minute a donor kidney spends at a temperature warmer than it should be, its risk of needing dialysis later goes up by 5%. And if the kidney stays too warm for just ten extra minutes, the chances of the transplant failing within five years increase by 8%. Rushing the surgery is not the answer either—speeding through delicate steps can lead to complications. The solution? Give the kidney a cozy pajama wrapper and keep it cool and protected until it is safely connected in its new home.

How Do You Code a Kidney in Pajamas?

For kidney pajamas, we turn to the 6A4 table for hypothermia procedures in ICD-10-PCS. Here’s how it breaks down:

– Body System/Part: T (Urinary System)

– Duration: 0 (Single)

– Qualifier 6: 0 (Donor Organ Protective Thermal Insulation)

– Qualifier 7: A (Intraoperative)

So, in FY2026, when you read that a kidney was snuggled in its silicone jacket during a transplant, you will know exactly what code to use to capture this life-saving, pajama-wearing moment.

In Summary

Next time you think about organ transplants, picture a kidney in its pajamas—cool, collected, and ready for a new start. And behind the scenes, skilled coders are making sure every detail, right down to the kidney’s pajamas, is coded perfectly.

Original Article: https://libmaneducation.com/icd-10-pcs-when-a-kidney-needs-pajamas-coding-the-cozy-side-of-transplants?utm_source=inpatient&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=august+2025&utm_content=LE-Coders-Corner-Eblast-FRI-8-8-2025-6am