AHA Coding Clinic® for ICD-9 - 2004 Issue 3; Ask the Editor

Open-Door Cervical Laminoplasty

Coding Clinic Second Quarter 2002, page 15, advised to assign code 03.09, Other exploration and decompression of spinal canal for a cervical expansile laminoplasty, when the lamina is incised at the level of the pedicle, relieving pressure without tissue excision. The surgeons at our facility perform an open-door cervical laminoplasty. In this type of open-door procedure the spinous processes and hinges are removed. The lamina is opened and fixation using plates and screws decompresses the spinal canal. The resources utilized for this type of laminoplasty are significant and involve more than just a decompression. Typically, multiple vertebral levels are involved and the surgery requires the same expertise as a spinal fusion. What is the correct code assignment for open-door cervical laminoplasty? ...

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