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Wiki Autograft Question - CPT 28305

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In regards to CPT 28305, my provider wants to know if the autograft can be locally harvested or does he have to make a separate incision distant from the area for the autograft to count?

The Coder's Desk Reference states, "Report 28305 when a bone graft is necessary. For this procedure, the physician debrides the intended graft recipient site of the tarsal and a bone graft from the iliac crest or other site is shaped and placed between the prepared surfaces."

So am I correct in thinking that based on the Coder's Desk Reference that the autograft can't be locally harvested and has to be harvested from a different area?

Thanks in advance.
 
Code 28305 clearly states "with autograft (includes obtaining graft) (eg. Fowler type)" so I wouldn't consider it separately billable.
Refer to the CPT manual (pg. 114 in the AMA CPT 2018 Professional) under the Surgery/Musculoskeletal System, Grafts (or Implants) it is prefaced by:
>Codes for obtaining autogenous bone, cartilage, tendon, fascia lata grafts, bone marrow, or other tissues through separate skin/fascial incisions should be reported separately, UNLESS the code descriptor references the harvest of the graft or implant (eg. includes obtaining graft).< Hope this helps! Cindy
 
I don't think the original post is asking if this can be billed separately, but rather if this code can be used if the graft is not harvested from a separate incision. I don't think that is a requirement for this code, just that a graft was used as part of the procedure. It is not stated in the code description and I don't interpret the desk reference to mean that either - it states 'from the iliac crest or other site', but doesn't say it has to be from a separate incision or separate anatomical location.
 
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