# Anesthesia for Knee repair with nerve block for post op pain management



## mbdk1977 (Jun 3, 2010)

I was looking for some information regarding the use of nerve blocks for post operative pain management.  If a patient comes in for a arthroscopicall aided anterior cruciate ligament repair/augmentation or reconstruction (29888 - anesthesia code 01400) and after the surgical procedure is completed but before the patient leaves the OR the patient is given a nerve block of the femoral nerve (64447), would you bill the nerve block.  I see that with the the anesthesia code 01400 and nerve block code 64447 that there is a CCI bundling edit.  Would the nerve block be considered included in the anesthesia?


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## rkmcoder (Jun 3, 2010)

(These are my opinions and should not be construed as being the final authority.  Other opinions may vary.)

We bill for ASCs and here is what we do:  If the same doctor does the procedure and the block, then the block is not billable.  If another doctor does the block, then bill the block with modifier -59 and the appropriate location modifier (-LT or -RT).  Use diagnosis code 338.18 (acute post-op pain).

Richard Mann, your pain management coder
rkmcoder@yahoo.com


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