Neurosurgery Coding Alert
Choose a 'T' Code for Disk Arthroplasty
Oregon Subscriber
Answer: Your physician is correct that you should use a -T- code to report a disk arthroplasty procedure. Which code you should use, however, depends on the anatomic location of the surgery.
Since July 1, 2005, you have been able to choose a category III (HCPCS) code to describe total disk arthroplasty (placement of artificial disk), as follows:
- 0090T -- Total disk arthroplasty (artificial disk), anterior approach, including diskectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression); single interspace, cervical
- 0091T -- ... single interspace, lumbar
- +0092T -- ... each additional interspace (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure).
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