Wiki 00670 for laminectomies

[solocoder]

Hi. Can 00670/base 13 only be used for laminectomies that include instrumentation? OR, can it also be used when: the procedure includes multiple vertabral segments (minimum 3 segments) with no instrumentation? I'm a little unclear on that.

 

[jkyles]

Hi there, the defining word in the full descriptor is "extensive."

Anesthesia for extensive spine and spinal cord procedures (eg, spinal instrumentation or vascular procedures)

Eg means "for example." In a code descriptor it is not meant to provide a complete list of services that fit the descriptor but to give the reader a better idea of when the code should be used.

 

[solocoder]

Thank you. Hoping to hear if anyone is actually using 00670 with laminectomies and if they have certain criteria for "extensive".