Pain Management Coding Alert
Look to These Codes When Removing Leads
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Question: A Medicare patient wants us to remove his SCS leads and battery because the system that he has is not eliminating his pain. Our physician tried to implant two new leads to see if it would help the pain, but after several attempts, he could not implant and wanted to avoid damage. He then removed the two new leads, the two old leads, and the battery. How should we report this?
Colorado Subscriber
Answer: You could submit code 63661 (Removal of spinal neurostimulator electrode percutaneous array[s], including fluoroscopy, when performed) as well as 63688 (Revision or removal of implanted spinal neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver).
Code 63663 (Revision including replacement, when performed, of spinal neurostimulator electrode percutaneous array[s], including fluoroscopy, when performed) cannot be used since your physician did not perform a revision.
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