Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: How do we correctly bill multiple radiofrequency ablations of the lumbosacral lateral branches? Do we append modifier 51 to any ablation after the first?

Virginia Subscriber

Answer: Begin with procedure code 64640 (Destruction by neurolytic agent; other peripheral nerve or branch), then check with your payer about how to report additional ablations.

Option 1: Submit 64640 on the same line for each ablation (64640 x 4 for four ablations, for example). Append either LT (Left side) or RT (Right side) to designate the side treated.

Option 2: Submit 64640 on line one. Report additional ablations on subsequent lines as 64640 with modifier 51 (Multiple procedures).