Wiki Correct surgical coding

mfjamroz777

Guest
Messages
1
Best answers
0
My physician is telling me to bill 20926 with 27447, but we're not getting paid for this. He is doing Total Knee Arthroplasty & doing blood platelets as the tissue graft. The AMA CPT coding books has a footnote that says for injections of platelet rich plasma use 0232T. However he argues that this is not correct. The patient is a MCR patient as well.
:rolleyes:
 
descriptions of these two procedures

I think the category III code is correct based on the descriptions of the two procedures. See the descriptions below:

20926-The physician obtains a paratenon, fat, or dermis graft. The physician incises the skin and retracts the skin flap to expose the underlying connective tissue. The tissue is incised to the required layer. The graft is lifted and implanted in the recipient site in a separately reportable procedure. The donor site is sutured in layers

0232T- The physician injects platelet rich plasma (PRP) into a targeted site. Harvesting and preparation may also be performed using a variety of techniques. In one, venous blood is drawn from the region of the arm in front of the elbow (antecubital vein) using a butterfly needle. The blood is placed into an appropriate container, centrifuged, and separated into platelet poor plasma (PPP), RBC, and PRP. The PPP is extracted and discarded and the PRP is withdrawn for use. The injection site is marked in order to localize the PRP injection; image guidance may be used. Under sterile conditions, the physician injects the PRP directly into the target area, sometimes using lidocaine or Marcaine. If administered to a joint space, calcium chloride and thrombin may also be added in order to provide a gel matrix for the PRP to adhere to. PRP has many indications, including wound care for the treatment of diabetic and venous stasis ulcers, chronic nonhealing tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis, and augmentation and fusion of bone. Studies suggest that PRP can aid in wound and soft tissue healing and can affect narcotic requirements, bone production (osteogenesis), postoperative blood loss, and inflammation.
 
Top