Spinal Surgery billing

When billing spine surgeries is each level considered a separate anatomical area or is it cervical, thoracic, l/s?

spine

Please specify the CPT codes you question

Spine surgery

22830 exploration of spinal fusion. If 22830 is done at a different level than 22855 is it separately reportable with the 59 modifier - or does it have to be that one is cervical and the other is thoracic or lumbar? Thanks.

CCI Edit

Segment = example, an anterior cervical plate placed from C3-C5 would be coded 22845; one placed from C3-C7 would be coded 22846. Code 22847 would be used for an anterior rod placed from T2-T10. Code 22855 is for the removal of anterior instrumentation, such as the removal of a cervical plate at C3-C5 without insertion of new instrumentation at the same level.

http://www.correctcodechek.com/reader/article_print/216126
"Exploration of the surgical field is a standard surgical practice. Physicians should not report a HCPCS/CPT code describing exploration of a surgical field with another HCPCS/CPT code describing a procedure in that surgical field. For example, CPT code 22830 describes exploration of a spinal fusion.
CPT code 22830 should not be reported with another procedure of the spine in the same anatomic area. However, if the spinal fusion exploration is performed in a different anatomic area than another spinal procedure, CPT code 22830 may be reported separately with modifier 59".

Spine surgery

Okay - so in the spine for billing purposes the separate anatomic sites would be cervical, thoracic and L/S? Correct? I'm trying to explain this to one of our physicians who thinks each level is a separate anatomic site for billing purposes. Thanks!

re: Spinal Surgery billing