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Orthopedic Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Decompression or Bony Lesion?

Published on Sat Sep 09, 2006

Question: One of our physicians performed a partial corpectomy at T-11 and a partial corpectomy at T-12, but I-m not sure how to report this. Should I report a corpectomy and an additional level? If not, how should I code it?


South Dakota Subscriber
Answer: You didn't indicate whether the surgeon performed the corpectomy for a metastatic tumor or burst fracture, and that affects your coding. If the procedure was for a metastatic tumor, you should use 63303 (Vertebral corpectomy, partial or complete ...), 63302 or 63303 and 63308 for additional levels.

If the surgeon performed the corpectomy for a burst fracture, you should report 63085 (Vertebral corpectomy, partial or complete ...) along with 63086 for any additional levels.
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