You Be the Coder:
Knee Surgery
Published on Sat Dec 01, 2001
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: My surgeon performed an operative arthroscopy with partial medial meniscectomy, chondroplasty of femoral cartilage and excision of medial plica. He wants to use 29881 and 29877. Is this unbundling?
Iowa Subscriber
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Answer: If the chondroplasty and meniscectomy are performed in the same compartment of the knee (in this case medial), only 29881 (arthroscopy, knee, surgical; with meniscectomy [medial OR lateral, including any meniscal shaving]) should be reported. However, if a medial meniscectomy is performed along with a chondroplasty in the lateral or patellofemoral compartments, then you can report both 29881 and 29877 (arthroscopy, knee, surgical; debridement/shaving of articular cartilage [chondroplasty]). A review of the operative report should determine whether you can report both codes. Resection of a plica is considered a component of most arthroscopic surgical procedures and is not coded separately. | |
