Wiki Neurosurgery Assistance

[jbrown71]

I have been coding General Surgery for about 1 1/2 and now I have be moved to coding NEUROSURGERY. I am so nervous and just received my first surgerical operative report.
Anterioir cervical diskectomy and fusion at C6-7, using threaded impacted allograft bone dowel and titanium plate/screws at C6-C7 (surgical microscope used for microdissetion).

If anyone can send ANY helpful tips, websites or classes that I may attend, I would HIGHLY appreciate it.
Jo, CPC

 

[mhstrauss]

I have been coding General Surgery for about 1 1/2 and now I have be moved to coding NEUROSURGERY. I am so nervous and just received my first surgerical operative report.
Anterioir cervical diskectomy and fusion at C6-7, using threaded impacted allograft bone dowel and titanium plate/screws at C6-C7 (surgical microscope used for microdissetion).

If anyone can send ANY helpful tips, websites or classes that I may attend, I would HIGHLY appreciate it.
Jo, CPC

I highly recommend the Ingenix Coding Companion for Neurology/Neurosurgery. Also, Karen Zupko's website is wonderful; they do webinars, will come onsite for training/education, and also have tons of FAQ's archived that you can search through; it is:

www.karenzupko.com


Medtronic's provider page is also a good resource for coding and reimbursement, just scroll down til you get to Spinal/Ortho here:

http://www.medtronic.com/for-healthcare-professionals/reimbursement/index.htm


I'll post more as I think of them

 

[philwjp]

neurosurgery spinal fusion

I'm having problems with billing laminectomy, 63047 with osteotomy codes. These are posterior approaches. Are disketomies included in 63047?

 

[mhstrauss]

I'm having problems with billing laminectomy, 63047 with osteotomy codes. These are posterior approaches. Are disketomies included in 63047?

Not according to the CPT descritption of 63047. Which osteotomy codes are you having trouble getting paid? Do you have any scrubbed op notes you can post here?