December 16, 2021

Question:
If I do a retrosigmoid craniotomy for resection of an acoustic neuroma (61520) but I also drill the internal auditory canal for exposure to the tumor, can I code separately for that using 69960 (Decompression internal auditory canal)?

Answer:
The craniotomy code, 61520, includes doing whatever exposure/approach is necessary in order to remove the tumor. Therefore, it would not be accurate to separately report 69960 with 61520.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 12/16/21.