You Be the Coder:
Multiple Arthrodeses, 1 Session
Published on Mon Jun 06, 2022
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the provider performed two arthrodesis surgeries: one on the left elbow joint (local) and one on the left wrist (complete, no graft). How should I report this encounter?
Michigan Subscriber
![](https://www.aapc.com/codes/webroot/upload/articles_pdf/2022/orc/2022-06-06_13-54-19.webp)
Answer: On your claim, you’d report:
- 24800 (Arthrodesis, elbow joint; local) for the elbow arthrodesis.
- 25800 (Arthrodesis, wrist; complete, without bone graft (includes radiocarpal and/or intercarpal and/ or carpometacarpal joints)) for the wrist arthrodesis.
- Modifier LT (Left side) appended to 25800 and 24800 to indicate laterality for the arthrodeses.
- Modifier 51 (Multiple procedures) appended to 25800 to show that the wrist and elbow arthrodeses were separate procedures.