You Be the Coder:
ACL Bundling
Published on Thu Nov 01, 2001
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: Our surgeon did an ACL reconstruction (29888), lateral meniscectomy (29881) and a chondroplasty of the medial femoral condyle (29879). I don't see any bundling edits regarding the chondroplasty and the ACL or meniscectomy, so how should I code these three procedures?
Montana Subscriber
Answer: Code your surgery as follows:
29888 arthroscopically aided anterior cruciate ligament repair/augmentation or reconstruction (appending the -LT or -RT modifier to indicate which knee).
29881-59 arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscectomy (medial or lateral, including any meniscal shaving), -distinct procedural service.
29877-59 arthroscopy, knee, surgical; debridement/shaving of articular cartilage (chondroplasty), -distinct procedural service.
According to the CCI edits, 29877 will be bundled with 29881 if in the same compartment. But if the doctor clearly documents a different compartment, you are able to bypass the edit with modifier -59.
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