December 2012 page 13
Surgery: Nervous System
Question: What open surgical approach codes would be appropriate for procedures wherein lateral foraminal stenosis is treated involving laminoforaminotomy (hemilaminectomy) instead of a laminectomy with the use of the operating microscope? For example, a patient with left C3-4 and C4-5 spinal stenosis (lateral foraminal stenosis) or a patient with lumbar lateral foraminal stenosis at L4-5. In each instance, an open hemilaminectomy (laminotomy) with foraminotomy is performed at a single spinal level (eg, C3-4, L4-5). Would code 63020 or 63030 (cervical), or codes 63045 and 63047 (lumbar) be reported because the spinal stenosis...
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