Anesthesia Coding Alert
Turn to This Code for Anesthesia During Kyphoplasty
Question: One of our doctors is questioning whether 01936 accurately reflects the work of an anesthesiologist during kyphoplasty. What code should we be reporting for his service? West Virginia Subscriber Answer: Under most circumstances, anesthesia code 01936 (Anesthesia for percutaneous image guided procedures on the spine and spinal cord; therapeutic) is the best option. If you review the operative note and see that the surgeon converted from a percutaneous procedure to an open procedure, if the procedure involved spinal manipulation, or if the surgeon’s work otherwise exceeded the scope of 01936, look into reporting a code from the 00600 (Anesthesia for procedures on cervical spine and cord; not otherwise specified) family. Code 00600 is assigned a value of 10 base units; code 01936 has a value of 5 units. Before jumping from 01936 to 00600 or a related code, ensure that you have sufficient supporting documentation.
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