Neurosurgery Coding Alert
Count Incisions in Brain Tumor Removal
Question: If our surgeon does a craniectomy with 1 bone flap and does separate incisions under that bone flap for removal of an occipital and a parietal tumor, can we bill only 1 unit of 61510 (Craniectomy, trephination, bone flap craniotomy; for excision of brain tumor, supratentorial, except meningioma)?
Alaska Subscriber
Answer: Code 61510 is only for supratentorial tumors. It appears that your surgeon performed one craniectomy and made two dural incisions. If your surgeon incised more than one area, you may report 61510 with the -22 modifier for additional dural incisions and separate tumor excision. In this case, your surgeon is removing a parietal and an occipital tumor, which are adjacent supratentorial tumors.
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