AMA CPT® Assistant - 2012 Issue 12 (December)

Surgery: Nervous System (Q&A) (December 2012)

December 2012 page 13 Surgery: Nervous System Question: What open surgical approach codes would be appropriate for procedures wherein lateral foraminal stenosis is treated involving laminoforaminotomy (hemilaminectomy) instead of a laminectomy with the use of the operating microscope? For example, a patient with left C3-4 and C4-5 spinal stenosis (lateral foraminal stenosis) or a patient with lumbar lateral foraminal stenosis at L4-5. In each instance, an open hemilaminectomy (laminotomy) with foraminotomy is performed at a single spinal level (eg, C3-4, L4-5). Would code 63020 or 63030 (cervical), or codes 63045 and 63047 (lumbar) be reported because the spinal stenosis...

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CPT® Assistant content is the official source for CPT® coding guidance. It is an instrumental tool when appealing insurance denials and validating coding to auditors. Monthly issues and an extensive archive provide comprehensive guidance on proper CPT® coding for past, present and upcoming code set releases. Archives date back to 1990 for historical use of codes, changes, rationales, coding tips and trends in the industry.

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