# Is 29881 used for just debridement of the meniscus?



## jeskla (May 2, 2017)

If the doctor does not remove any of the meniscus, can 29881 still be used?  I think I may have been coding them wrong- thinking that 29881 could be used when he  describes  either meniscus debridement or meniscectomy. I don't know where I came up with that... maybe because the code description says includes meniscal shaving?  I am going back and forth with uncertainty now. 

In this particular op note, after he debrides the meniscus, he then goes on to perform a chondroplasty of the medial femoral condyle, which is included in 29881. So, for this commercial insurance- since the chondroplasty was done in the same compartment as the meniscestomy (if it can be considered 29881) I was only going to use only  29881. Any advice is greatly appreciated. 


This is all he did to the meniscus. He does not state he removes anything anywhere in the body of the note: 
"Medial meniscus had posterior junction, posterior middle 1/3 radial tear that we debrided with the front end biter and the shaver. "


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## Orthocoderpgu (May 3, 2017)

Meniscectomy is debridement of a meniscus. If a meniscal tear can be repaired (29882-held down with sutures usually) then a repair is performed. However, most of the time, due to the type of meniscal tear, an actual repair is not possible. 

So the physician performs a meniscectomy by debriding the meniscus back to a smooth surface (for the most part). One of my physicians actually documents the percentage of meniscus that is debrided and removed (10%-40%).

Chondroplasty (debriding the chondral or articular surfaces of the bone) is also included with 29881 or 29880.


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