Wiki Laminectomy coding question

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anidi5

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To anyone who can help...

My provider is performing L4 and L5 laminectomy and bilateral medial facetectomy at the L4-5 level, bilateral foraminotomies of the L5 and S1 nerve roots bilaterally.

He wants to use codes 63047 & 63048. My constant confusion is what's considered a single vertebral segment and what's considered a single vertebral interspace.

I believe coding should be 63047 & 63048 x 2, since 63047 states a single vertebral segment, and 63048 is each additional segment.

Can someone please help? I'd appreciate anything anyone can give me :)
 
Stacking them up helps sometimes

L4
---
L5
---
S1

L4-S1 is 3 segments. in between each 2 segments there is 1 interspace so you have 3 segments and 2 interspaces. Looks like your code selection accounts for the 3 segments

My only question is since I haven't done the neuro codes yet only the Muscular skeletal. Are you able to bill a code codes fro "Laminectomy, facetectomy and foraminotomy" if all 3 weren't done at all 3 levels?
 
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Thank you for the help. Although you have asked a good question in which I'd like to know the answer to as well...

From my notes, all 3 were only done on the L5 level, whereas on L4 only the laminectomy and facetectomy was done, and S1 had only the foraminotomy done.

Hopefully someone will be able to answer that question.
 
63047 and 63048

You can code the laminectomy codes separately if they were done for decompression. The other codes state "other than for decompression".
 
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