Orthopedic Coding Alert
Arthroscopic Surgery
New Jersey Subscriber
Answer: The instructional notes at the beginning of the Endoscopy/Arthroscopy subsection of CPT state that surgical arthroscopy always includes a diagnostic arthroscopy. Therefore, whenever an arthroscopic surgical procedure is performed on the knee, a diagnostic arthroscopy of the knee is included, regardless of the compartments of the knee involved, and 29870 should not be reported.
Answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Heidi Stout, CPC, CCS-P, coding and reimbursement manager at University Orthopedic Associates in New Brunswick, N.J.
Orthopedic Coding Alert
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Arthroscopy
Question: My doctor performed 29877 (arthroscopy, knee, surgical; debridement/shaving of articular cartilage [chondroplasty]) in two [...] - Clarification:
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Question: When my physician sees patients in the emergency department (ED) should we always charge [...] - Reader Question:
Debridement
Question: What is considered limited debridement (29822) versus extensive (29823)?
Arizona Subscriber
Answer: According to the [...] - Reader Question:
Chondroplasty
Question: What compartments are referred to in arthroscopic chondroplasty of the knee (29877)?
New Mexico Subscriber
[...] - Reader Question:
Arthroscopic Surgery
Question: If a diagnostic arthroscopy (29870) is done on the medial compartment of the knee, [...]
