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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Code PEEK and Instrumentation Separately

Published on Mon Apr 26, 2010

Question: Our neurosurgeon placed PEEK interbody spacers after discectomy and filled the intervertebral space with 1cc of Osteo-Cell. He then placed a cervical plate across the fusion construct. He says we can report a separate instrumentation code for the plate, but I'm not sure. What's the correct coding?Illinois SubscriberAnswer: If the surgeon placed plating and screws for instrumentation after placing the PEEK cage/spacer, then you can code for both parts of the procedure. Here's how:+22851 (Application of intervertebral biomechanical device[s] [e.g., synthetic cage{s}, threaded bone dowell{s}, methylmethacrylate] to vertebral defect or interspace [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) for the PEEK device used for interspace fusion+20930 (Allograft for spine surgery only; morselized [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) for the Osteo-Cell synthetic bone protein injection +22845 (Anterior instrumentation; 2 to 3 vertebral segments [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) for the [...]
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