Reader Question:
01905 Is Best for Vertebroplasty
Published on Thu Aug 09, 2007
Question: What is the anesthesia code for lumbar vertebroplasty? One coder in our office says 00630, but another says 01905.
Kentucky Subscriber
Answer: Begin with the CPT code for a lumbar vertebroplasty, which is 22521 (Percutaneous vertebroplasty, one vertebral body, unilateral or bilateral injection; lumbar). Report injections to additional vertebrae with +22522 (... each additional thoracic or lumbar vertebral body [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]).
Anesthesia angle: If you're coding for the anesthesia service rather than the surgical procedure, 00630 (Anesthesia for procedures in lumbar region; not otherwise specified) might look correct at first glance. But the anesthesia crosswalk for 22521 takes you to 01905 (Anesthesia for myelography, discography, vertebroplasty). That makes 01905 your better -- and more accurate -- option for anesthesia during the procedure.
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