Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Our neurosurgeon suggested that we bill 63056 for the coblation of L4-L5 and coblation of L5-S1. Now someone else says 62287 is the better code. The operative note says no specimens were removed. What's the correct choice? Kansas Subscriber Answer: Your advisor is correct -- you typically report 62287 (Decompression procedure, percutaneous, of nucleus pulposus of intervertebral disc, any method, single or multiple levels, lumbar [e.g., manual or automated percutaneous discectomy, percutaneous laser discectomy]) for coblation, assuming the surgeon used a percutaneous approach. Code 62287 is better than 63056 as your physician suggested for multiple reasons: • Coblation is typically a percutaneous procedure. • Code 63056 (Transpedicular approach with decompression of spinal cord, equina and/or nerve root[s] [e.g., herniated intervertebral disc], single segment; lumbar [including transfacet, or lateral extraforaminal approach] [e.g., far lateral herniated intervertebral disc]) represents an open procedure. Heads up: Some carriers consider this an experimental procedure and [...]