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 The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M43. 20 became effective on October 1, 2021. This is the American ICD-10-CM version of M43.
Other specified postprocedural states The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM Z98. 89 became effective on October 1, 2021.
Postlaminectomy syndrome, not elsewhere classified M96. 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.
Other intervertebral disc displacement, lumbar region The 2022 edition of ICD-10-CM M51. 26 became effective on October 1, 2021.
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.
Other specified postprocedural statesICD-10 code Z98. 890 for Other specified postprocedural states is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Factors influencing health status and contact with health services .
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 ...
Laminectomy is a type of surgery in which a surgeon removes part or all of the vertebral bone (lamina). This helps ease pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots that may be caused by injury, herniated disk, narrowing of the canal (spinal stenosis), or tumors.
A lumbar laminectomy involves the removal of the back portion of a vertebra in your lower back to create more room within the spinal canal.
2022 ICD-10-PCS Procedure Code 00NY0ZZ: Release Lumbar Spinal Cord, Open Approach.
The procedures to be coded are the posterior lumbar interbody fusion, discectomy, and harvesting of bone graft. The code for the posterior lumbar fusion is 0SG107J, with the device value being 7 for autologous substitute. The code for the discectomy is 0SB20ZZ, with the root operation being Excision.
1. Choose standalone codes to describe decompression/discectomy.Approach/ProcedureCervicalLumbarPosterior Discectomy63020, +63035, 63040, +6304363030, +63035, 63042, +63044Posterior Fracture Repair22326, +2232822325, +22328Corpectomy63081, +6308263087, +63088, 63090, +630911 more row•Dec 9, 2021
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.
Warning: As with bone graft codes, instrumentation codes are add-on codes, and are never reported with modifier 62. Some payers (including Medicare) will incorrectly reimburse the instrumentation and some bone graft codes when billed with modifier 62; however, CPT® guidelines prohibit reporting the instrumentation and bone graft codes with modifier 62.
Incision made in front of the spine through a minilaparotomy or laparoscopy
Spinal fusion is classified by the anatomic portion (column) fused and the technique (approach) used to perform the fusion. The fusion can include a discectomy, bone grafting, and spinal instrumentation.
If bone graft is the only device used, the procedure is coded with device value Nonautologous Tissue Substitute or Autologous Tissue Substitute depending on bone source
Some procedures are integral to the fusion and cannot be coded separately. Take this example:
qtr 2014 specifies that a discectomy is almost always performed at the same time as spinal fusion surgery. An additional code should be assigned. Typically, a fusion involves partial removal of the disc and should be coded as excision of disc. If, however, the provider documents “total discectomy,” it should be coded as a disc resection.
To report bone graft procedures, see 20930-20938. (Report bone graft procedures, see 20930-20938. (Report in addition to code[s] for definitive procedure[s].) Do not append modifier 62 to bone graft codes 20900-20938.
A vertebral segment describes the basic constituent part into which the spine may be divided. It represents a single complete vertebral bone with its associated articular processes and laminae.