tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 1999 Issue 1

Alert: HCFA Says CPT Code 49010 for Spinal Co-Surgery is Fraud

When a disk is herniated, the spine is curved and can be fixed either from the back or front. Neurosurgeons and orthopedists tend to favor the anterior approach because it makes the spine more stable. But typically they will require the services of a general surgeon to move organs out of the way and to open and close. But what is now a relatively straightforward surgical procedure has become a serious coding dilemma for both the orthopedic/neurosurgeon and the general surgeon. Kathleen Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, a physician reimbursement specialist who works with Allan L. Liefer, MD, FACS, in...

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