# Repair of collateral ligament DIP joint CPT help



## fiona369 (Mar 20, 2018)

Wondering if anyone can help validate the codes below.

CPT 26545 , 26410, and 13131 were coded... shoudl it be 26418?

Assessment: Left index finger laceration with tendon and ligament injuries. have recommended a wound exploration and repair of injured structures.  Verbal consent was obtained.  The procedure included complex wound repair, extensor tendon repair in zone 2, 1.

*Procedure:*
The hand was prepped and draped in the standard sterile fashion.  A digital nerve block using 2% lidocaine was performed.  The wound was extended radially and ulnarly and skin flaps were raised.  The extensor tendon was found to be lacerated 100% through both lateral bands	distal insertion.  There was also a partial laceration of the collateral ligament on the radial aspect.  The skin flaps were temporarily sutured in place for retraction.

The wound was copiously irrigated with Betadine saline.  The ligament was reapproximated using a 4-0 Ethibond suture in a figure-of-eight fashion.  The extensor tendon was repaired with a modified Kessler core suture with 4-0 PDS.  There suture is reinforced with an epitendinous suture of 6-0 Prolene in a running interlocking horizontal mattress fashion.  The wound was then once again irrigated.  The skin was closed using 5-0 nylon sutures.  The finger was noted to be in a fully extended position following the repair.  The finger tourniquet was removed and good capillary refill was noted distally.  The patient was placed into a finger DIP extension splint.  He tolerated the procedure well and was given antibiotics and instructions to follow up in my office later this week.

Thanks 

Fiona


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## MLamanna9 (Mar 21, 2018)

*Colleteral ligament coding*

Good Morning
Yes  you are right to use 26545 and 13132 but use 26410 since no graft was used


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## fiona369 (Mar 22, 2018)

Thank you, just for clarification, are you suggssting that only the 26410 and 13131 are correct in this case and that 26545 is not be coded? Thanks again 




MLamanna9 said:


> Good Morning
> Yes  you are right to use 26545 and 13132 but use 26410 since no graft was used


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