Orthopedic Coding Alert

Procedure and documentation could add RVUs to your claim.Your orthopedist completes an arthroscopic Bankart repair and instructs you to report both 29806 (Arthroscopy, shoulder, surgical; capsulorrhaphy) and 29807 (... repair of SLAP lesion). National  Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits bundle 29806 and 29807, although CCI notes state that you can include a modifier to differentiate the services and code both services.Does your surgeon's documentation or service merit separate reporting? Follow our experts' advice to determine whether his recommendation is on track. Know the Pitfalls of Submitting Both CodesA Bankart lesion (718.31, Recurrent dislocation of joint; shoulder region) occurs when the patient tears the labrum at its attachment to the inferior glenohumeral ligament. The injury usually occurs when the patient sustains a shoulder dislocation.The arthroscopic procedure usually requires a repair of the labral injury, William J. Mallon, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and medical director of Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, N.C. [...]