Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

This patient sustained injury to his right shoulder while placing rivets and I-beams at work. He was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff tear and impingement syndrome. The surgeon has scheduled the patient for an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, subacromial decompression, debridement and bursectomy, of the right shoulder with injection of autologous condition plasma and plasma tissue autograft harvesting. What are the appropriate codes for the plasma tissue autograft harvesting and application? It has been suggested that we report CPT code 20926, Tissue grafts, other (eg, paratenon, fat, dermis), or CPT code 36514, Therapeutic apheresis; for plasma pheresis. ...

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

articles:   
Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AHA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This premium article addresses a coding scenario involving arthroscopic shoulder surgery and the question of how to report a plasma tissue autograft harvesting and application service. It is intended for coding professionals working with orthopedic procedures and CPT guidance, especially where newer Category III reporting considerations may apply. The article provides background on the service, references alternative codes that may be considered, and explains the timing of coding availability for this type of procedure.

Why This Topic Matters

Orthopedic procedures often involve multiple services performed during the same operative session, and determining whether a related biologic service is separately reportable can affect accurate claim submission and compliance. This article helps readers understand the scope of the coding issue and where CPT guidance changed over time.

What You Will Learn

  • How the article frames the coding issue for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair cases
  • What broader CPT topics are involved when plasma-related harvesting and application are performed
  • Why the timing of code availability matters for reporting this type of service
  • How the article situates the question within orthopedic surgery coding

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding auditors
  • Orthopedic surgery billing staff
  • Physician office staff
  • Compliance professionals

Codes Discussed

  • CPT: 20926
  • CPT: 36514

Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.

articles:   

The AHA Coding Clinic for HCPCS includes:

  • The official publication for Level I HCPCS (CPT-4 codes) for hospital providers
  • Also specific Level II HCPCS codes for hospitals, physicians and other health professionals
  • Current newsletters added each quarter
  • Full Archives back to 2001
  • Fully searchable through Find-A-Code's Comprehensive Search
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information page link back to related articles
  • View all the articles associated with any code, right from the code page!
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • AHA's Coding Clinic® - HCPCS +Archives

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.

Aimee- AI -powered coding assistant - Try it now for Free Would you like Aimee - AI
to help you with this?