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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Do Not Bill Multiple Units for Spinal Cage

Published on Wed Aug 29, 2012

Question: Below are details of a procedure our surgeon did.Procedure:T9 corpectomy.T7, T8, T10 fusion using expandable cage using screws and rods.Operative details: "The spine was exposed and the soft tissues were cleaned up. Some more x-rays were taken to verify T9 vertebral body position. The T9 vertebral body was noted to be completely disintegrated and soft. In piecemeal fashion, using sharp curettes and rongeurs as well as curettes, the bone was completely removed. All the bone as well as discs between T9 and T10 as well as T9 and T8 had been completely removed and the anterior longitudinal ligament was exposed. There was no empyema left and no pus was seen at any time. Then expandable cage was placed in the disc space and expanded. This cage had an official size from 22-30 mm, and it was mostly expanded almost to its maximum height. Continuous neuromonitoring was done. When cage [...]
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