Pathology and Laboratory/Microbiology (March 2009)

March 2009 page 10c Pathology and Laboratory: Microbiology, 36513 (Q&A) Question: During an orthopedic procedure, the patient's blood was drawn and then centrifuged to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the platelet-poor plasma. The red cells were injected into the operative site. Is it appropriate to report code 36513 , Therapeutic apheresis; for platelets, for the procedure performed to obtain the platelets? Answer: No. To obtain the cells for injection, code 86999 , Unlisted transfusion medicine procedure , should be reported when for example, intraoperatively, 60 ccscc's of blood are drawn from the patient, centrifuged for 15 minutes to separate the platelet-rich...

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

Article Overview

This article presents a short CPT Assistant question-and-answer item in the pathology and laboratory/microbiology area. It explains a blood-processing and intraoperative injection scenario, identifies the reporting issue under discussion, and provides general guidance on how the service is characterized for coding purposes. The piece is useful for coders, billers, and compliance staff who work with laboratory, transfusion medicine, and operative procedure reporting.

Why This Topic Matters

It helps readers quickly determine whether the article is relevant to coding questions involving laboratory processing tied to surgery and whether a separate transfusion medicine code was considered in the source guidance.

Article Sections

  1. Pathology and Laboratory: Microbiology, 36513 (Q&A)

    A question-and-answer discussion in the pathology and laboratory/microbiology area covering a perioperative blood-processing scenario and related reporting considerations.

What You Will Learn

  • The general coding topic addressed by the article
  • How the article frames a laboratory-related intraoperative scenario
  • What type of guidance the Q&A provides for reporting considerations
  • Which broad coding areas are implicated in the discussion

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Pathology and laboratory billing staff
  • Compliance personnel
  • Revenue cycle professionals
  • Orthopedic surgery coding staff

Codes Discussed


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