Category: Coding Coach

Removal of Eschar
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Removal of Eschar

May 25, 2023 Question: My plastic surgery saw a patient who sustained an approximately 40% total body surface area burn in a fire. He has previously undergone excision and allograft placement of his extremities. He now came back for removal of the eschar that remains present on his torso and bilateral thighs. The total area...

Bone Anchored Hearing Implants
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Bone Anchored Hearing Implants

May 25, 2023 Question: What CPT code would I report for implanting a bone anchored osseointegrated implant with a magnetic transcutaneous attachment outside of the mastoid? Answer: In 2023 three new CPT were created to report Transcutaneous osseointegrated implants outside of the mastoid.  For the implantation the code to report is 69729, for the replacement of the existing device...

Facet Fusion
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Facet Fusion

May 25, 2023 Question: The neurosurgeon documents a placing a cervical “facet implant or intrafacet implant “ with bone graft. Is this coded as 22600, cervical arthrodesis? Answer: No. This is coded with a Category III code, as shown below: Facet Wedge or Dowel Arthrodesis (Intrafacet Implant) Placement of a posterior intrafacet implant(s), unilateral or...

Vessel Exploration
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Vessel Exploration

May 11, 2023 Question: What code is used to make an incision over the femoral artery to evaluate for injury, and explore it without any repair? Answer: Use code 35703, Exploration not followed by surgical repair, artery; lower extremity (eg, common femoral, deep femoral, superficial femoral, popliteal, tibial, peroneal) *This response is based on the...

Retrocalcaneal Bursectomy
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Retrocalcaneal Bursectomy

May 11, 2023 Question: Our surgeon performed a repair of an Achilles tendon, excision Haglund’s deformity of the calcaneus and retrocalcaneal bursectomy. Are we able to code the bursectomy in addition to the repair and excision of Haglund’s? Thank you in advance for your assistance. Answer: Thank you for your inquiry and explanation of procedures...

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Coding Coaches