Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert
Achilles Lesion Excision
Question: Our podiatrist documented an excision for thickening of the Achilles tendon, and dictated a diagnosis of calcific Achilles tendonitis. Which CPT® and ICD-9 codes should we report?
Answer: You should report 727.82 (Calcium deposits in tendon and bursa) as the diagnosis code for this procedure, because the surgeon referred to a calcific tendon.
Watch out: Start getting your physician in the habit of specifying the site. This matters in ICD-10. For instance, if this condition occurs in the right foot and not in multiple sites, you would report M65.271 (Calcific tendonitis, right ankle and foot).
The calcification qualifies as a lesion, so the correct CPT® code is 27630 (Excision of lesion of tendon sheath or capsule [e.g., cyst or ganglion], leg and/or ankle]).
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Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert
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