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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Coding Strategies:

Follow These Steps To Ensure Correct And Complete Spinal Neurostimulator Reporting

Published on Fri May 27, 2011

Attention to trials and reprogramming can help to strengthen your claimsYour chances of successfully reporting your neurosurgeon's spinal neurostimulator implant services will improve dramatically if you can capture all the steps in the operative note. Correctly assigning codes depends on identifying a typical sequence, which includes placing a trial electrode, removing it, placing a long-term electrode, implanting a pulse generator, and lastly programming it at regular intervals according to the clinical response.Code for Each Trial ArrayMost patients will be subjected to a trial before they are given permanent electrodes. "Trial placement of electrodes is done to make sure a patient can tolerate it before a permanent one is placed," says Teresa Thomas, BBA, RHIT, CPC, practice manager II, St. John's Clinic -- Neurosurgery, Springfield, Missouri. The trial placement helps to test and confirm the relief from pain. "The trial helps to determine if spinal cord stimulation provides relief to the patient [...]
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