Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Our physician administers a lot of steroid injections and injections of anesthetic for patients having pain in the soles of their feet. How should I code these? Is there any critical information that I need to know when reporting these procedures?North Carolina Subscriber Answer: Use 64455 (Injection[s], anesthetic agent and/or steroid, plantar common digital nerve[s] [e.g., Morton's neuroma]). You should also use the proper J code to indicate the type of steroid injected with 64455.Physicians often administer steroid and anesthetic injections on the foot to treat Morton's neuroma, a frequently occurring injury of the forefoot that affects the third web space of the toes. During the procedure, the physician injects either an anesthetic agent or a steroid into the plantar common digital nerve from the dorsal direction.Watch out: Make sure you do not list 64455 in conjunction with 64632 (Destruction by neurolytic agent; plantar common digital nerve), for the [...]