Wiki help with laminectomy coding please advice

[icys@aol.com]

pre op DX: L2-3 HERINEATED NUCLEUS PULPOSUS, L3-4 HERINATED NUCLEUS PULPOSUS, AND L4-5 SPINAL STENOSIS WITH HERINATED BUCLEUS PULPOSUS.
POST OP DX: SAME
OPERATION PERFORMED:
1.EXPLORATION OF LUMBAR 2-3 LEMINECTOMY, WITH MICRODESCECTOMY OF LUMBAR 3-4AND LUMBAR 4-5 LEMINECTOMY, MEDIAL FACETECTOMY, FORAMINOTOMY AND MICRODISCECTOMY.
2.USE OF MICROSCOPE
3.USE OF FLUROSCOPY

DO YOU THINK 22612(L2-3) , 63047 (L4-5),63048(l3-4), 76000 AND 20931 ARE GOOD CODES TO BILL? PLEASE ADVICE..THANKS

 

[sebastianaj]

Without seeing the documentation of the procedures, it seems like the MD did Laminectomies at L2/3, L3/4 and L4/5, including Discectomies at all levels. If this is true and the discs were incised at each level, I would code 63030, 63035,63035. The Laminectomies are included with the Discectomy codes.

22612, is lumbar arthrodesis, it doesn't look like the MD did any fusion.
63047 is lami only
20931 is graft, doesn't appear that there were any grafts added into disc spaces.

 

[icys@aol.com]

Thank you sebastianaj