Question: Our pain management specialist administered a Gasserian ganglion block. What is the correct code for this?
Pennsylvania Subscriber
Answer: Code 64400 (Injection, anesthetic agent; trigeminal nerve, any division or branch) represents a block of the trigeminal nerve, the gasserian ganglion, or any of the divisions or branches of the trigeminal nerve (also known as the fifth cranial nerve).
The gasserian ganglion (or trigeminal or semilunar ganglion) is a sensory ganglion of the trigeminal nerve. It is important in the treatment of some types of facial pain.
Physicians sometimes perform a trigeminal nerve block to determine whether the patient will benefit from neurolysis to treat the ganglion.