M43.26 is a billable code used to specify a medical diagnosis of fusion of spine, lumbar region. The code is valid for the year 2020 for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions. The ICD-10-CM code M43.26 might also be used to specify conditions or terms like lumbar spine ankylosis or thoracolumbar ankylosis.
Your doctor may ask you to:
Treatment
Shooting pain in the buttocks and down the leg is one of the signs of lumbar stenosis and is usually due to compression of the nerves that control the lower part of the body as they exit the spinal canal. Pain in the buttocks that does not go away may also be indicative of other diseases and should, therefore, be examined and diagnosed by a doctor.
With a lower back (lumbar) herniated disc that’s causing leg pain, it’s generally advisable that patients try 6–12 weeks of conservative (non-surgical) treatment. When conservative treatments aren’t providing significant relief after several weeks or months, surgery usually becomes an option. One surgical option is lumbar disc replacement.
Fusion of spine, site unspecified M43. 20 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M43. 20 became effective on October 1, 2021.
Other specified postprocedural states The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM Z98. 89 became effective on October 1, 2021.
The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M43. 26 became effective on October 1, 2021.
1 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes. The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M96. 1 became effective on October 1, 2021.
A lumbar laminectomy involves the removal of the back part of a vertebra in your lower back to create more room within the spinal canal.
Laminectomy (removal of lamina bone) and diskectomy (removing damaged disk tissue) are both types of spinal decompression surgery. Your provider may perform a diskectomy or other techniques (such as joining two vertebrae, called spinal fusion) during a laminectomy procedure.
CPT Code 63030 is defined as laminotomy (hemilaminectomy), with decompression of nerve root(s), including partial facetectomy, foraminotomy and/or excision of herniated intervertebral disc; one interspace, lumbar (including open or endoscopically-assisted approach) and; Code 63047, laminectomy, facetectomy and ...
If the surgeon performs a posterolateral fusion from L3 through L5, but does not perform a posterior interbody fusion, the traditional posterior lumbar fusion codes (22612 for the first level and 22614 for each additional level) should be used.
Code 20930 is an add on code and used for specified spinal procedures only. Check with your payer to determine if 20930 can be billed separately or if the application of the bone graft material is included in the code for the primary surgical procedure.
2022 ICD-10-PCS Procedure Code 00NY0ZZ: Release Lumbar Spinal Cord, Open Approach.
Two codes are assigned for the anterior spinal fusion, as two levels of the spine were fused (L4-L5 and L5-S1). The codes for the anterior spinal fusion are 0SG00AJ (L4-L5) and 0SG30AJ (L5-S1). Two codes are also assigned for the posterior spinal fusion, 0SG0071 (L4-L5) and 0SG3071 (L5-S1).
Decompression is the general term to describe removal of the spinal disk, bone, or tissue causing pressure and pain. Often, this is the only procedure performed. Examples include: laminectomy to decompress spinal canal and/or nerve roots (e.g., 63001-63017, 63045-+63048), discectomy to decompress spinal canal and/or nerve roots (e.g., 63020-+63035, 63040-+63044, 63055-+63057), corpectomy (e.g., 63081-+63091), fracture repair (e.g., 22325-+22328), etc.#N#CPT® designates the decompression codes as being per “vertebral segment” or per “interspace.” Decompression occurs at the interspace for discectomy codes (e.g., right L4-L5 interspace). Discectomy is a single, standalone code, such as 63030 Laminotomy (hemilaminectomy), with decompression of nerve root (s), including partial facetectomy, foraminotomy and/or excision of herniated intervertebral disc; 1 interspace, lumbar.#N#But decompression of the spinal canal can be coded per vertebral segment (63001-63017), or per level of foraminotomy (e.g., decompression of the L4 exiting nerve root via partial laminectomy at L4 and partial laminectomy at L5, with foraminotomy at L4-L5, is reported using one code: 63047 Laminectomy, facetectomy and foraminotomy (unilateral or bilateral with decompression of spinal cord, cauda equina and/or nerve root [s], [eg, spinal or lateral recess stenosis]), single vertebral segment; lumbar).#N#Discern whether the approach was posterior or anterior to choose the correct code. Table A illustrates commonly used, standalone decompression codes for spine surgery.#N#Table A: Standalone decompression codes for spine surgery
“It seems like coding spine cases is as complicated as doing the surgery,” said a spine surgeon at his first coding training session with me.#N#Spine procedure coding can make even the most confident coder squirm. But spine procedure coding doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it’s quite formulaic. Follow these five principles and spine procedure coding will go from scary to simple.
Because a fusion was performed, you must include a bone graft code. As with other graft codes in CPT®, the spinal bone graft codes are reported for harvesting the bone graft. The work of placing the bone graft is included in the arthrodesis/fusion codes. All spinal bone graft codes are add-on codes.