Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: Our surgeon circled code 25215, but that code refers to all of the bones in the proximal row and he only dictated working on four bones. Aren't there five bones in the proximal row?

Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: Your physician circled the correct code if he addressed the scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum and pisiform bones. These four bones make up the proximal row of the patient's hand.
 
If the physician documented carpectomies of these bones, you should report 25215 (Carpectomy; all bones of proximal row). If he did not refer to all four of these, you may want to consider reporting 25210 (... one bone) instead. You can report additional units of 25210 if he documented carpectomies of more than one bone.
 
Note: The surgeon may remove just part of the scaphoid rather than the entire bone, but this should not change your code choice.