Orthopedic Coding Alert
Code Spinal Deformity Arthrodesis With Specific Code Set
Proper coding depends on knowing how surgeon diagnosed deformity. There’s typically a lot to unpack when a patient with spinal deformity presents to your orthopedist for arthrodesis. How? For starters, coding will be different than it would for patients who have spinal arthrodesis, but don’t suffer from spinal deformity. Further, there is an extensive list of diagnosis codes that might prove medical necessity for the procedure. For more information on coding surgeries for this patient population, take a look at this primer on patients who receive arthrodesis due to spinal deformity. Pre-Arthrodesis Dx Comes Via These Services Before your surgeon performs spinal arthrodesis, they have to decide if the patient has a spinal deformity — and what type of deformity it might be. The surgeon could use a combination of these testing methods to determine the presence of spinal deformity, confirms Judy Wilson, CPC, COC, CPCO, CPPM, CPB, CANPC, CDEO, CPC-P: E/M and X-ray example: If the surgeon uses a combination of E/M and X-ray, “a specialist will perform a physical examination and order X-rays of the spine. During an exam, the doctor will usually ask the patient to move into a few positions, such as a forward bend, in order to observe the spine as it moves,” according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). MRI example: When the surgeon uses MRI, they perform the test to “produce three-dimensional images of body structures using powerful magnets and computer technology,” according to Yale Medicine. The MRI “can show the spinal cord, nerve roots and surrounding areas, as well as enlargement, degeneration and deformities.” Select From These Codes for Arthrodesis When the surgeon does decide to perform arthrodesis for a patient with spinal deformity, these are the codes you’ll choose from, Wilson confirms: Choose From Several (Dozen) Dx Codes to Prove Medical Necessity The list of potential ICD-10 codes for the aforementioned arthrodesis surgical codes is long. Check with your payer, or consult your contract, if you have questions about whether a particular ICD-10 code proves medical necessity for 22800-22812. Here’s a sampling of the hundreds of ICD-10 codes that could be paired with 22800-22812. Remember that this is not a complete list; nor is it guaranteed that these diagnosis codes will automatically qualify an arthrodesis for spinal deformity for payment: Posterior arthrodesis ICD-10 codes (22800-22804) Anterior arthrodesis ICD-10 codes (22808-22812)
Related Articles
Orthopedic Coding Alert
- Condition Spotlight:
Connect Dislocated Elbow Coding Dots for Full Coding Picture
Here’s how your surgeon could diagnose a dislocated elbow. Patients reporting to your practice with [...] - Case Study Corner:
Test Yourself With These Foot Repair Scenarios
Tenolysis/tendon surgeries can test your coding ability. When orthopedic surgeons perform tendon surgery on a [...] - Surgery:
Code Spinal Deformity Arthrodesis With Specific Code Set
Proper coding depends on knowing how surgeon diagnosed deformity. There’s typically a lot to unpack [...] - You Be the Coder:
Multi-Level Hemilaminectomies
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the surgeon performed hemilaminectomy on spinal segments C3-C5. The surgery also [...] - Reader Questions:
PHE to End in May
Question: I read that there’s been another extension to the public health emergency (PHE) due to [...] - Reader Questions:
Get More Info Before Coding Tenotomy
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the surgeon performed tenotomy of a patient’s hip. What CPT® code [...] - Reader Questions:
Get Specific With Stress Fracture Dx
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the patient suffered from a “stress Fx RT ankle/foot/great toe.” How [...] - Reader Questions:
Use This Guide to MDM Leveling With 1 Chronic Problem
Question: We have a patient with one chronic problem. It is not worsening, but it is [...]
