# 29879  abrasion chondroplasty coding



## pfwilliams39 (Oct 18, 2013)

I read an article from 2005 that stated we can bill 29879 a minimum of two times if an abrasion chondroplasty was performed in the medial and lateral compartments. 29879 /29879 59. What if it's done in the medical compartment and patella compartment? I've just been coding it once as 29879. Is that correct?

The doctor performs a chondroplasty in all three compartments, but does not state in the op report that it was to the bleeding bone or states that a microfracture was done. Is it best to use the G0289 for the multiple compartments (coded with the 29880, so I can't use 29877), or can I use the 29879?


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## Jamie Dezenzo (Oct 29, 2013)

If no indication of microfx (pick procedure) or bleeding bone for abrasion arthroplasty just chondroplasty should be coded. If done w/ 29881 or 29880 the chondroplasty is included.


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## capricew (Oct 31, 2013)

To add the the above,
if only chondroplasty is done 29877 (no meniscectomy) then you can only report it once per surgical session.   This appears to be the code you would report as long as it was not done with 29880/29881 because it is bundled with those codes.
G0289 is Medicare's equivalent to 29877 and is only reported to Medicare.  Medicare does not pay ASC's for this code even though you report it.


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