Neurosurgery Coding Alert
Reader Questions:
Correctly Code for Spinal Metastatic Tumors
Published on Thu Apr 28, 2011
Question If the surgeon performs an 11-level thoracic laminectomy for bilateral removal of a metastatic tumor, is this coded as 63276 x11 or otherwise? Is a modifier appropriate in this case? Alaska Subscriber Answer: The single reporting of code 63276 (Laminectomy for biopsy/excision of intraspinal neoplasm; extradural, thoracic) is correct to describe the laminectomy for epidural metastatic tumor removal at the thoracic location, regardless of the number of lamina removed.
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