Orthopedic Coding Quick Start Guide: ASC Shoulder Procedures
Posted on 11. Oct, 2009 by Editor in Coder's Cranium
Shoulder ICD-9 and CPT codes you’ll most likely see in the orthopedic ASC setting — explained.
If you’re an orthopedic coder, you don’t have to shoulder your shoulder coding burdens alone. We’ve rounded up a handy reference list of shoulder problems (along with sample procedures that fix them) that you’ll come across in an ambulatory surgical center setting.
AC Joint Separation
A separation of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint (831.04, Dislocation of shoulder; acromioclavicular [joint]), also called a “shoulder separation,” occurs when the clavicle and acromion separate due to a strain, sprain or tear of one or more shoulder ligaments. In the most serious form of AC joint separation, both the acromioclavicular ligament and the coracoclavicular ligament are completely torn. These injuries often occur following a fall or a direct blow to the shoulder, often during sports, and can cause intense shoulder pain.
If the injury is a grade 1 separation (a sprain without ligament tearing) or a grade 2 separation (with partial ligament tearing), surgeons usually prescribe pain medication and stabilize the joint using a sling. If the patient suffers a grade 3 separation with tearing of both ligaments and does not respond well to conservative treatment, the surgeon may opt to perform an AC joint stabilization surgery, also known as a Weaver-Dunn reconstruction (23550 or 23552).
Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)
When thick bands of tissue (adhesions) grow around the shoulder joint, patients suffer from adhesive capsulitis (726.0, Adhesive capsulitis of shoulder). The condition is also known as “frozen shoulder” because the associated lack of synovial fluid prevents the shoulder from moving properly.
Physicians usually have success treating this condition with conservative treatment such as cortisone injections, physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but some patients still require surgery. Surgeons can sometimes treat adhesive capsulitis using manipulation under...
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