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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

64721 Covers CTS Surgery

Published on Tue Mar 22, 2005

Question: Which code describes surgical treatment of CTS?


Oklahoma Subscriber

 
Answer: For surgical repair of carpal tunnel syndrome, or CTS (354.0), you should turn to 64721 (Neuroplasty and/or transposition; median nerve at carpal tunnel).

On occasion, the surgeon may also compress the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal (64719, Neuroplasty and/or transposition; ulnar nerve at wrist) to treat ulnar nerve syndrome (354.2), multiple neuritis syndrome (354.5), or injury to the ulnar nerve (955.2) during the session.

Payers will apply a multiple-procedure reduction to 64719 if you report it during the same session as 64721.

Clinical and coding expertise for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Eric Sandhusen, CHC, CPC, director of compliance for the Columbia University department of surgery.
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