Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: During placement of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, my surgeon inserted the ventricular catheter and a second surgeon placed the peritoneal catheter. Is there a code to describe just the ventricular placement?

New Jersey Subscriber

Answer: CPT does not contain a code describing ventricular placement only. In this case, because the two surgeons worked cooperatively to place the ventriculo-peritoneal shunt, each surgeon should claim 62223 (Creation of shunt; ventriculo-peritoneal, -pleural, other terminus) and append modifier -62 (Two surgeons). CPT guidelines dictate that each surgeon must supply his or her own operative report and code independently. Medicare and most private payers will increase the total fee for the surgery to 125 percent and split the resulting payment between the two surgeons.

  Clinical and coding expertise for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Eric Sandham, CHC, CPC, compliance manager for Central California Faculty Medical Group, a group practice and training facility associated with the University of California at San Francisco in Fresno.