Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Our neurosurgeon often places a Blake drain during spinal surgery for postoperative drainage. Can we charge extra for this?

Idaho Subscriber

Answer: No, you may not charge extra for drain placement for post-op drainage during surgery. Payers consider both placement and later removal of surgical drains incidental to the primary procedure and included in the global service package of the surgery.

But if the surgeon places a lumbar drain, for instance, as the primary procedure, you may report 62272 (Spinal puncture, therapeutic, for drainage of cerebrospinal fluid [by needle or catheter]).