April 2012 page 17
Surgery: Musculoskeletal
Question: Does the procedure described by code 20670, Removal of implant; superficial (eg, buried wire, pin or rod) (separate procedure), always require a skin incision?
Answer: No.A skin incision is not required to appropriately report code 20670.
Question: A physician performs a tenosynovectomy of the first dorsal compartment for De Quervain's tenosynovitis and removes all of the diseased tissue. What is the appropriate code to report?
Answer: It is appropriate to report code 25118, Synovectomy, extensor tendon sheath, wrist, single compartment, as only a single dorsal compartment is involved.
Question: What is...
Note: The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.
Article Overview
This article addresses a small set of musculoskeletal coding questions from a CPT Assistant Q&A format. It focuses on how to recognize the relevant procedure categories, when unlisted reporting is discussed, and how the guidance relates to orthopedic and arthroscopic surgery topics. The content is useful for coders, billers, auditors, and clinicians who need to understand the scope of the April 2012 musculoskeletal coding discussion.
Why This Topic Matters
It helps readers determine whether the article contains guidance relevant to orthopedic and arthroscopic procedure reporting and related CPT coding questions.
Article Sections
April 2012 page 17
A short Q&A collection addressing musculoskeletal surgery coding topics from the April 2012 issue. The section spans implant removal, tendon sheath surgery, fracture-related repair, bone lesion excision, unlisted arthroscopic reporting, and shoulder arthroscopy topics.
What You Will Learn
Which musculoskeletal procedure topics are discussed in the April 2012 Q&A format
What broad areas of orthopedic and arthroscopic coding the article covers
How the article frames selected CPT reporting questions for surgery services
Which kinds of coding scenarios are included in the discussion
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