Coding For Ruptered Peroneal Tendon
How would I code the repair of a ruptured
peroneal tendon using an allograft?
Dana Pelaez, Billing (Office of Carey Bledsoe,
DPM)
Upland, CA
Codingline-L Responses:
I would recommend that you use CPT 27659
(repair, flexor tendon, leg; secondary, with or
without graft, each tendon) for the repair of the
peroneal tendon.
Howard Zlotoff, DPM
Camp Hill, PA
For primary repair of the tendon, report CPT
27658; for secondary repair, report CPT 27659.
Graft harvest may be reported separately only
when an autograft is used, and when the code
description does not include the
language "includes obtaining graft".
Heidi Stout CPC, CCS-P, University Orthopaedic
Associates, New Brunswick, NJ
If the repair was performed at the level of
the foot (rather than the leg/ankle), I would
recommend taking a look at CPT 28200 (repair,
tendon, flexor, foot; primary or secondary,
without free graft, each tendon).
Denise Paige, CPC, Los Angeles, CA
I believe CPT 27659 (repair, flexor tendon,
leg; secondary, with or without graft, each
tendon) is the appropriate code for the given
procedure described. There is no additional
allowance for the use of an allograft.
If the graft was an autograft taken from a
separate site, then it is my opinion that you can
also bill for obtaining the autograft (tendon)
material, because the repair code does not
include the words "includes obtaining the graft.
Walter J Pedowitz MD
Linden, NJ
