Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: When a patient reports for lateral extracavitary arthrodesis with minimal discectomy, how should I report the procedure?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: It depends on whether the arthrodesis was thoracic or lumbar. Go back and check the notes, and then choose one of these codes depending on the information you retrieve:

•  22532 (Arthrodesis, lateral extracavitary technique, including minimal discectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression); thoracic)
• 22533 (… lumbar).

Also: If the orthopedist performs a lateral extracavitary arthrodesis with minimal discectomy — lumbar or thoracic — you’ll report +22534 (Arthrodesis, lateral extracavitary technique, including minimal discectomy to prepare interspace (other than for decompression); thoracic or lumbar, each additional vertebral segment (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)) in addition to the primary procedure code.