Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: Our neurologist performs Wada tests in conjunction with the hospital's radiology department. How should the radiologist and neurologist each report their portinos of the procedure?

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Answer: The CPT code for a Wada test is 95958 (Wada activation test for hemispheric function, including electroencephalographic [EEG] monitoring).

During a Wada test, the physician injects anesthetic into the right or left internal carotid artery to study one side of the brain at a time. The Wada test shows which side of the patient's brain controls language and which side has better memory. Many epilepsy patients undergo the test before having brain surgery, to give physicians a clearer picture of the situation. The test's official name is the intracarotid sodium amobarbital procedure (ISAP). The term "Wada test" comes from the name of the neurologist who first performed the test, Dr. Juhn Wada.