Orthopedic Coding Alert
Posterolateral Corner Repair Codes Vary
Question: Our surgeon performed an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction (29888) with an open posterolateral corner repair. Can we bill for both services? Alabama Subscriber Answer: Yes. Posterolateral corner injuries include tears of the popliteus tendon, lateral collateral ligament, lateral capsular ligament and arcuate ligament complex. The codes you report will depend on the structures that the orthopedist repairs, so you should review the orthopedist's operative note in great detail. You will probably report several codes from the following list, depending on the surgeon's documentation:
Orthopedic Coding Alert
- Specialty Spotlight:
Sports Medicine Dont Strike Out When Reporting Elbow Ligament Repairs
Baseball season has arrived, which means orthopedists should expect to see a sudden increase in [...] - Avoid Undercoding Subsequent Hospital Care
If your practice repeatedly reports 99231 for all of your subsequent hospital care services, this [...] - You Be the Coder:
Report Separate-Compartment Multiple Chondroplasties
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Subsequent Hospital Care:
Documentation Is Key to Selecting Accurate Codes
Once your practice learns CMS'requirements for documenting subsequent hospital care, you can more accurately assign [...] - News Brief:
2003 Conversion Factor Increased by 1.6 Percent
Thanks to a last-minute congressional move, CMS raised the 2003 conversion factor about 1.6 percent [...] - Reader Question:
Dont Report Both Injection and 99211
Question: When our nurses administer injections, we usually report the codes for injection administration, the [...] - Reader Question:
Report 24341 for Pectoralis Major Repair
Question: What is the appropriate code to report for pectoralis major muscle repair? It is [...] - Reader Question:
Posterolateral Corner Repair Codes Vary
Question: Our surgeon performed an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction (29888) with an open posterolateral corner repair. [...] - Reader Question:
Report 26546 or 26565 for Open Osteoclasis
Question: Our surgeon performed open osteoclasis to treat a right proximal fifth metacarpal fracture. Is [...] - Reader Question:
Know the Three Knee Compartments
Question: We were pleased to read in the February Orthopedic Coding Alert that we can [...] - Reader Question:
Report E/M For Oxygen Administration
Question: One of our patients suffered syncope and collapsed in the office. We administered oxygen, [...] - Reader Question:
Rib,Vertebrae Fractures:Use Two Codes
Question: Our orthopedist performed closed treatments on two vertebral compression fractures and a right rib [...] - Clarification:
Shoulder Manipulation
The December 2002 Orthopedic Coding Alert reader question "Shoulder Manipulation" advised subscribers to report 23585 [...]
