Neurosurgery Coding Alert
You Be The Coder:
Whats the Code for a Shunt Tap?
Published on Tue Jul 01, 2003
Question: How should I code for a shunt tap?
Iowa Subscriber
Answer: The appropriate code to describe a shunt tap is 61070* (Puncture of shunt tubing or reservoir for aspiration or injection procedure). Surgeons may place an intracranial shunt for a number of reasons, most frequently to aid in treating hydrocephalus. The physician performs a shunt tap by inserting a small-gauge needle through the scalp, penetrating the bulb of the reservoir. In this way, he or she may measure and/or reduce intracranial pressure, withdraw cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for diagnosis or inject a radioisotope into the shunt valve to follow and quantitate the flow of CSF with an isotope camera (gamma camera).
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