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Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Lateral Epicondyle Injection w/Ultrasound Guidance

My doctor performed a lateral epicondyle injection. He was told by an Ortho provider that the code should be 20605/20606. Everything I’m finding is pointing towards 20551.

The Report reads: "The patient was placed in the supine position with the affected limb, with the shoulder in abduction and internal rotation, and the elbow flexed. We therefore, cleaned the radial aspect of the right elbow with chlorhexidine in the usual sterile fashion. We identified the right lateral epicondyle under ultrasound guidance. we advanced the 27-gauge needle. There was positive activation of the ulnar hypothenar muscle of the hand with the Stimuplex needle in place. Then had a negative aspiration and injected a total of 4 mL of lidocaine 1 %, as well as 40 mg of Depo-Medrol. Needle was removed. Dressing was applied."

If anyone has any guidance on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Open knee Anterior Lateral Ligament CPT Code

Hi,

I have a physician that is looking for a code for an ALL knee surgery. (Anterior Lateral Ligament) The code it keeps throwing me to is for an ACL surgery and he says that is not the same surgery he is doing on this particular ligament. I am looking for an open code for this procedure so that we can bill this properly on the surgeons side and our surgery center.

Thanks for any help you can give! :)

Kimmy

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Open knee Anterior Lateral Ligament CPT Code

Hi,

I have a physician that is looking for a code for an ALL knee surgery. (Anterior Lateral Ligament) The code it keeps throwing me to is for an ACL surgery and he says that is not the same surgery he is doing on this particular ligament. I am looking for an open code for this procedure so that we can bill this properly on the surgeons side and our surgery center.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Kimmy

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Coding Partial Medial and Partial Lateral Meniscectomy in the same surgery

My provider performed a partial medial meniscectomy and a partial lateral meniscectomy in the same surgery. Coding Knees irritates me, because when doing a mensicectomy along with several other procedures, you can only code for the meniscectomy.
My question is – When coding for a partial medial meniscectomy and a partial lateral meniscectomy of the same knee – am I able to append a 22 modifier to 29881? OR do I code 29880 vs 29881? My thought is to use 29881 since it is a partial, but 29881 is for Medial OR Lateral – and 29880 if for BOTH Medial and Lateral – but with a partial for both – how would I code this? Would it possibly be 29880-52? Since it was partial for both medial and lateral?
I am still fairly new with my CPC and have been pondering this with the last few surgeries I have coded and want to be sure I am coding this correctly.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Retroeritoneal Approach to Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve

Hi,
My surgeon did a neuroplasty/neurectomy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. It was retroperitoneal approach. I am new to peripheral nerve coding and I am not sure what CPT code to use.

OP Note:

Neuroplasty of right lateral femoral cutaneous nerve distal to the inguinal ligament
*
Neurectomy of the right lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and the retroperitoneal space.

patient was taken to the operating room and placed in supine position. Right side of the abdomen and right proximal thigh were prepped and draped in normal fashion. Timeout performed.
*
A retroperitoneal exposure was performed by the general surgery service as co-surgeons for this procedure.
*
As we explored the retroperitoneal space and the area along the iliac is possible we’re unable to clearly identify the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve. This was likely secondary to previous surgery and some scarring. The incision was undermined and we started to expose more distally along the inguinal ligament. At the junction of the inguinal ligament and the anterior superior iliac spine, dissection proceeded. We moved just distal to the inguinal ligament and were able to identify the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve as it was exiting from under the ligament into the thigh. We then traced the nerve proximal under the inguinal ligament towards the retrograde peritoneal space. This allowed us to then identify the nerve In the retroperitoneal space. Gentle neuroplasty was now performed as we exposed the nerve over at least a distance of 2-3 cm In the retroperitoneal space. This was proximal to the likely pathology for the patient.. The nerve was fully divided. The proximal stump was then rotated and a opening was placed in the iliac’s muscle. Proximal stump was then buried into the muscle.

Thanks so much,
Tracy

*

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

67950 Medial and Lateral

Can anyone offer advice on how to code 67950 Canthoplasty if the physician performs this on both the medial and lateral canthus of the same eye (inner and outer corner). I can’t find any information about whether this code is one unit per eye, or if there are modifiers that allow me to bill more than one unit. For now, I have been billing one unit per eye without any modifiers or codes to indicate an additional corner of the eye.

Any advice or resources is appreciated!
Thanks!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Debridement of lateral retinaculum knee

Procedures Performed [preop diagnosis was lateral retinacular tear] and scheduled for repair

PRP Injection left knee
Arthroscopy partial meniscectomy 29881
Debridement lateral retinaculum

Need help coding the debridement of the lateral retinaculum. Will highlight that portion of operative note

"No obvious disruption quadriceps tendon. Lateral retinaculum intact. No signs of disruption of lateral retinaculum, some fraying. This was debrided and injected with PRP.

What code could be used for the debridement procedure? Was suggested I use 27425, which is an open lateral release.

Meniscectomy was performed and coded as 29881

Looking for answers and/or explanations.

Thank all in advance

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Lateral Meniscectomy AND lateral repair?

I have a surgeon that states he did a lateral meniscectomy as well as a lateral meniscal repair. Can this be done? Please see OP note:

There was a bucket-handle fragment peripherally of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. This was gently
debrided using an arthroscopic shaver and a biter. There was a full-thickness horizontal cleavage tear of
the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. Considering the patient was only 25 years of age and that this
tear went all the way to the periphery where there was good bleeding and the fact that we were doing an
ACL reconstruction in combination with it, I decided to repair the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus.

Any assistance is appreciated.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Pain coding – Right lateral epicondyle injection with ultrasound guidance

Help,
This is the procedure:
Right elbow extensor tendon ultrasound guided corticosteroid injection.
Consent: Written consent was given after the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the procedure were explained and patient agreed to proceed with the injection. Indication for ultrasound guidance procedure includes avoidance of further ulnar nerve damage, obesity.
Description of Procedure: Right elbow extensor tendon injection: With the arm pronated, the proximal forearm close to the lateral epicondyle was prepped in standard sterile fashion and appropriate sterile cover and gel were used for ultrasound procedure. Using a Sonosite M-Turbo 15-6MHz linear array probe scanned both in long and short axis and injected in short axis visualizing elbow extensor tendon clearly. Procedure note: Written consent was given after the risks and benefits of the procedure were explained and pt agreed to proceed with the injection. The pt remained seated for the procedure with the left fully relaxed. After standard sterile preparation with Chloraprep. The extensor forearm was then injected utilizing the "peppering" technique with redirection of the needle several times with 1cc of 1%lidocaine without epinephrine and 40mg kenalog (NDC # 0003-0293-05) with intermittent negative withdrawal of heme. The needle was withdrawn. The pt tolerated the procedure well and there were no complications. There was immediate relief of symptoms. A sterile bandage was applied. Pt was given instructions to avoid more than 5 lbs lifting or pulling with right hand for 2 weeks. may ice today only..

Should this be billed as trigger point? My doctor is wanting it to be billed as 24357. Any guidance would really be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum