TammyVan
Guest
My Spine folks have been perfoming sacroiliac joint fusions with documentation that mentions ‘implants'. I've been contemplating billing for the ‘implants', however my common sense says NO….we don't bill for instrumentation when doing a hip fusion, for example.
Documentation example:
This incision was taken through skin and subcutaneous tissues down to the level of the fascia, at which point, the navigated cannula was then brought into place. This was then punctured through the fascia down to the level of the iliac bone. Once down on the iliac bone, the navigation system was used to find ideal trajectories and pathways for the fusion devices across the sacroiliac joint. Once the ideal trajectories were selected, three Steinmann pin-type wires were placed across the sacroiliac joints in safe trajectories and safe pathways for the sacroiliac bone. Once across the sacroiliac joint, the pins were then drilled over with a cannulated drill, taking great care to hold the pins to make sure that they did not penetrate deeper. This was then followed by broaching, followed then by placement of implants. The broaching device significantly opened up the space and roughened up the joint surfaces of the sacroiliac joint as it passed across the joint, allowing for trans-joint fusion. In any case, once this was completed, the implants were placed across the sacroiliac joint. These were placed without significant difficulty over the guidewires, and once they were in place, they were checked using fluoroscopy and O-arm imaging to verify that their alignment and positions. They were all found to be in very good alignment and position, and because of this, the procedure was deemed complete.
Does 27280 include the implants?
Documentation example:
This incision was taken through skin and subcutaneous tissues down to the level of the fascia, at which point, the navigated cannula was then brought into place. This was then punctured through the fascia down to the level of the iliac bone. Once down on the iliac bone, the navigation system was used to find ideal trajectories and pathways for the fusion devices across the sacroiliac joint. Once the ideal trajectories were selected, three Steinmann pin-type wires were placed across the sacroiliac joints in safe trajectories and safe pathways for the sacroiliac bone. Once across the sacroiliac joint, the pins were then drilled over with a cannulated drill, taking great care to hold the pins to make sure that they did not penetrate deeper. This was then followed by broaching, followed then by placement of implants. The broaching device significantly opened up the space and roughened up the joint surfaces of the sacroiliac joint as it passed across the joint, allowing for trans-joint fusion. In any case, once this was completed, the implants were placed across the sacroiliac joint. These were placed without significant difficulty over the guidewires, and once they were in place, they were checked using fluoroscopy and O-arm imaging to verify that their alignment and positions. They were all found to be in very good alignment and position, and because of this, the procedure was deemed complete.
Does 27280 include the implants?