Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: My neurosurgeon repaired a 4cm skull bone defect by using bone tissue harvested from another part of the patient and transferred to his cranium. My neurosurgeon performed this service to resolve a cranial defect that was a result of a depressed skull fracture. Which CPT^® code should I report on my claim?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: You should report 62146 (Cranioplasty with autograft (includes obtaining bone grafts); up to 5 cm diameter) on your claim.

Don’t miss: In this case, your neurosurgeon used a bone graft using bone taken from the patient, which is referred to as an “autograft.”

It’s also important for you to be aware of the diameter of the cranioplasty because the size will dictate your code choice.

In this case, 62146 is the appropriate choice because your surgeon performed an autograft and the size of the cranioplasty fell within the range dictated by the code descriptor.