Orthopedic Coding Alert

Approach, span and devices influence your claim If your surgeon provides spinal instrumentation services, you'll need to identify what instruments were used and whether the physician removed and reinserted the instrumentation. Brush up on your spinal instrumentation coding skills -- and improve your claim results for these services by following some important tips. Look for Device Your Surgeon Places When your surgeon places wires, screws, rods, or any other instruments, you can efficiently select the appropriate code if you know the approach and fixation points. There are ten codes you can choose from when you report spinal instrumentation: 22840 -- Posterior non-segmental instrumentation (e.g., Harrington rod technique, pedicle fixation across one interspace, atlantoaxialtransarticular screw fixation, sublaminar wiring at C1, facet screw fixation)[List separately in addition to the code for primary procedure] 22841 -- Internal spinal fixation by wiring of spinous processes [List separately in addition to the code for primary procedure] 22842 -- Posterior [...]