Wiki Arthroscopy Code

[preserene]

Well, if a procedure started as arthroscopic and ended as OPEN, it is coded as an 'open procedure'; we ignore the scopy, by not reporting ; right?
But when we started as open procedure and got the scopy for "aid', we honor it with a separate code.
Am I right on both statement?
Then, if we do a surgical scopy in one site and we need a diagnostic in another site of the same family during the same session, do we report this diagnostic sepaprately?; if not, then with which modifier?
Thank you in advance as an appreciation!

 

[twosmek]

if the procedure started as a arthroscopy and ended up as open you would code the diagnostic arthroscopy code for that joint along with the open procedure.

If the scope is used as an aid. I don't believe you can code for that. Not sure though.

For the third question it would depend on what the other site is. If for example you did a procedure on the knee and did lets say a chondroplasty in the Medial compartment and then did a diagnositic in the Lateral compartment of the same knee. You cannot charge a diagnositic for the Lateral compartment. If it was the opposite knee then yes you could or if you did a meniscal repair in the lateral compartment then you could code that.

Hope that helps.

 

[maryanneheath]

I am not an expert but I do not agree with coding both the arthroscopic and open codes. I was taught that if a procedure started out arthroscopic but then converted to open, you would only bill for the open code.