Neurosurgery Coding:
Check for Laterality in CPT® Code Descriptors
Published on Fri Jul 25, 2025
Question: A patient suffering from “thoracol. Spondylosis, no radiculopathy/myelopathy” reports to the neurosurgeon. They perform electrothermal annuloplasty on two levels. The first level is bilateral, and the second is unilateral. Should I use modifier 50 on the first level? AAPC Forum Subscriber Answer: You won’t need modifier 50 (Bilateral procedure) for this encounter. On the claim, report: 22526 (Percutaneous intradiscal [...]