Orthopedic Coding Alert
Lateral and Medial Compartments
Question: Our physician performed knee arthroscopy (29879) in the lateral and medial compartments using two separate portal sites. He wants to bill 29879 twice, with distinct procedural service modifier -59 appended to the second 29879. Is this appropriate? Ohio Subscriber Answer: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes in its Global Service Data 2002 guide that you can only report one chondroplasty code per joint, regardless of the number of compartments involved. The guidelines read: "Debridement of articular cartilage (chondroplasty) in the same compartment where meniscal repair or excision is performed is considered included (bundled) and should not be coded. Chondroplasty procedures can only be coded one time per joint, no matter how many compartments are debrided. Abrasion arthro-plasty codes are appropriate when the procedure exposes bleeding subchondral bone." With this in mind, report 29879 (Arthroscopy, knee, surgical; abrasion arthroplasty [includes chondroplasty where necessary] or multiple drilling or microfracture) only once.
Orthopedic Coding Alert
- AAOS Releases Bundling Guidelines for New CPT Surgical Codes
CPT 2002 includes several new musculoskeletal codes that the Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) has yet [...] - Fingers and Toes:
Count on Modifiers When Billing Multiple Procedures
" Proper coding for procedures performed on multiple fingers and toes is a challenge because [...] - You Be the Coder:
Two Surgeons, Distinct Services
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Modifier of the Month:
Use -76 When One Physician Repeats Procedure,X-Ray Study
Modifier -76 (Repeat procedure by same physician) is appended when the same procedure (with the [...] - Reader Question:
Lateral and Medial Compartments
Question: Our physician performed knee arthroscopy (29879) in the lateral and medial compartments using two [...] - Reader Question:
Impingement of Ankle
Question: How should we code "impingement of the ankle"? Hawaii Subscriber Answer: Impingement is defined [...] - Correction:
X-Ray Coding and Emergency Department Visit
Component, Location Shed Light on X-Ray Coding, appearing in Orthopedic Coding Alert February 2002, listed [...] - Reader Question:
E/M,Admission on Same Day
Question: How should I bill an E/M visit in the office on the same date [...] - Reader Question:
X-Rays Performed in the Office
Question: We own our x-ray equipment and take all our x-rays in the office. The [...] - Reader Question:
Fracture Coding
Question: The patient had a comminuted surgical neck fracture with displaced humeral shaft reduced six [...] - Reader Question:
Hardware Removal
Question: What combination of V and numeric ICD-9 codes should I use for internal hardware [...]
