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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Consider 27630 for Achilles Lesion Excision

Published on Tue Jun 27, 2006

Question: Our surgeon documented an excision for thickening of the Achilles tendon, and dictated a diagnosis of calcific Achilles- tendonitis. Which CPT and ICD-9 codes should we report?
     
South Carolina Subscriber
 
Answer: You should report 727.82 (Calcium deposits in tendon and bursa) as the diagnosis code for this procedure, because the surgeon referred to a calcific tendon.
 
The calcification qualifies as a lesion, so the correct CPT code is 27630 (Excision of lesion of tendon sheath or capsule [e.g., cyst or ganglion], leg and/or ankle]).
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