Neurosurgery Coding Alert
READER QUESTIONS:
Let Harvest Procedure Guide Your Coding
Published on Wed Jul 26, 2006
Question: When my neurosurgeon harvests bone marrow for a graft, should I report 38220 for the harvesting and then 20926 for the grafting to the site?
Nevada Subscriber
Answer: No. You cannot report both 38220 (Bone marrow; aspiration only) and 20926 (Tissue grafts, other [e.g., paratenon, fat, dermis]) together. You should use 38220 if the neurosurgeon aspirates the bone marrow--for example, using a needle or trocar. If the neurosurgeon performs an open harvest of the bone marrow via an incision, you should report 20926. There is no separate code for the placement of graft tissue.
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