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Orthopedic Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Master Multiple Units of 20680

Published on Sat Jun 06, 2009

Question: My orthopedic surgeon performed a tibia hardware removal and then a fibula hardware removal. Since he removed multiple implants through separate incisions during an operative session, can I report 20680 more than once ? Arkansas Subscriber Answer: You can report 20680 (Removal of implant; deep [e.g., buried wire, pin, screw, metal band, nail, rod or plate]), 20680-59 (Distinct procedural service) when the orthopedist removes hardware from the tibia and the fibula. They are separate hardware to treat two separate fractures. In other words, if the orthopedist performs the hardware removal on another fracture unrelated to the first fracture (such as an ankle or humerus, or the fracture site is distal and the other proximal), you can report two units of 20680 with modifier 59 on the second unit. Caution: The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has stated that you should report the removal of hardware used to repair [...]
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