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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Anesthesia During Elbow Procedures

Published on Wed Dec 01, 1999

Question: There are several CPT codes for anesthesia during elbow procedures, but most of them seem to be tissue-related. One of our anesthesiologists recently assisted with surgery repairing an elbow fracture, and we didnt know which code to use. What would you recommend?

A TX subscriber

Answer: CPT does not include a code specifically for elbow fractures, as you found. The most appropriate code to use would probably be 24586 (open treatment of periarticular fracture and/or dislocation of the elbow [fracture distal humerus and proximal ulna and/or proximal radius]).
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