A 59-year-old patient with continuous post-traumatic pain received a tunneled epidural catheter for long-term pain medication administration by use of an external pump. The patient was previously implanted with an intrathecal pump, which was ineffective for the patient’s pain management. Before the implantation of the epidural pump, the physician removed the intrathecal catheter. What are the correct CPT codes for this service?
Explanation
Answer: B - The correct CPT codes for this service are 62350 (Implantation, Revision, or Repositioning of Tunneled, Intrathecal or Epidural Catheter, for Long-Term Medication Administration via an External Pump or Implantable Reservoir/Infusion Pump; without Laminectomy) and 62355 (Removal of Previously Implanted Intrathecal or Epidural Catheter). The removal of the intrathecal catheter needs to be coded separately with modifier -51, indicating that it was multiple procedures.
