Thanks!
Laureen shows you her proprietary “Bubbling and Highlighting Technique”
Download your Free copy of my "Medical Coding From Home Ebook" at the top right corner of this page 2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationaleTag Archives: Arthrodesis
transpedicular anterior thoracic arthrodesis
transpedicular anterior thoracic arthrodesis
Talonavicular arthrodesis CPT code
Laminectomy + arthrodesis help
I am new to neurosurgery coding. I have an op note that states surgeon did a decompressive laminectomy on L4-L5 for disc herniation as well as posterolateral arthrodesis on same level. My question is…do I append the modifier 59 to decompression (63030) or is it included in fusion (22612)????
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
HealthCare Business Monthly article “Approach Matters for Spinal Arthrodesis”
[INDENT]Operative Report states: "a partial C5 corpectomy (30-40 percent) was performed , as the disk fragments had migrated inferiorly behind the C5 body, to safely retrieve the fragments to ensure that all the disk fragments were removed."
[INDENT]63081 CPT code Description: "Vertebral corpectomy (vertebral body resection), partial or complete, anterior approach with decompression of spinal cord and/or nerve roots; cervical single segment"
According to CPT Assistant, April 2016; Volume 26, Issue 4, a cervical spine requires 50% of the vertebral body removed and the thoracic and lumbar requires at least 30% of the vertebral body removed. A copy of this CPT Assistant response is attached, along with an article on insertion of biomechanical devices.
Corpectomy surgery is a high risk procedure because the bone that surrounds the patient’s spinal cord for protection is being removed either partially or completely. Taking out the vertebral body to remove disk fragments seems to be an extreme measure; especially for a herniated disk and no other medical necessity information documented. Arthritis, cervical spine stenosis are typical types of reasons a corpectomy is done.
I just wanted to point this out because of risk to patients. If I am wrong, please speak up. Thanks for reading.