Wiki 22212

Yes...If the surgery crosses regions during the procedure, you will report a single primary code.

Also...

Location documents which area of the spine is being worked on: cervical (C1-C7), thoracic (T1-T12), lumbar (L1-L5) or sacral (S1-S4). Confusion arises when there is crossover of anatomic regions, such as a multiple level arthrodesis of T10-L2. Coders have wondered if more than one primary code can be reported, such as 22610 for the T10-T11, 22612 for the L1-L2 and 22614 for the additional levels.

If an arthrodesis crosses over both the thoracic and lumbar locations, AAOS recommends that you report 22612 as the primary arthrodesis code for lumbar. CPT and CMS indicate that performing an arthrodesis at the lumbar level requires more work value than one in the thoracic area. (Federal Register 2003—22612 has a work relative value unit [RVU] of 20.97; 22610 has a work RVU of 16.00)


http://www2.aaos.org/aaos/archives/bulletin/aug04/code.htm
 
Yes...If the surgery crosses regions during the procedure, you will report a single primary code.

Also...

Location documents which area of the spine is being worked on: cervical (C1-C7), thoracic (T1-T12), lumbar (L1-L5) or sacral (S1-S4). Confusion arises when there is crossover of anatomic regions, such as a multiple level arthrodesis of T10-L2. Coders have wondered if more than one primary code can be reported, such as 22610 for the T10-T11, 22612 for the L1-L2 and 22614 for the additional levels.

If an arthrodesis crosses over both the thoracic and lumbar locations, AAOS recommends that you report 22612 as the primary arthrodesis code for lumbar. CPT and CMS indicate that performing an arthrodesis at the lumbar level requires more work value than one in the thoracic area. (Federal Register 2003—22612 has a work relative value unit [RVU] of 20.97; 22610 has a work RVU of 16.00)


http://www2.aaos.org/aaos/archives/bulletin/aug04/code.htm

Rebeeca-
Would it then be appropriate to add the add-on code to capture the Thoracic level or does the Lumbar primary code represent BOTH the thoracic + lumbar levels and adding an extra add-on code would be inappropriate?

Thanks.
 
"Would it then be appropriate to add the add-on code to capture the Thoracic level or does the Lumbar primary code represent BOTH the thoracic + lumbar levels and adding an extra add-on code would be inappropriate?"

Below is a good example...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty

Injection at T12 and L1= 22520 (thoracic) and 22522 (lumbar)

Injection at T10, T11, T12, L1, L2= 22520 (T10), 22522 x 4 (for the 2 additional thoracic levels T11 & T12, plus the 2 add. lumbar levels L1 & L2)
 
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