AAPC Certified Professional Coder (CPC) — Question 68

A 60-year-old male suffering from degenerative disc disease at the L3-L4 and L5-S1 levels was placed under general anesthesia. Using an anterior approach, the L3-L4 disc space was exposed. Using blunt dissection, the disc space was cleaned. The disc space was then sized and trialed. Excellent placement and insertion of the artificial disc at L3-L4 was noted. The area was inspected and there was no compression of any nerve roots. Same procedure was performed on L5-S1 level. Peritoneum was then allowed to return to normal anatomic position and entire area was copiously irrigated. The wound was closed in a layered fashion. The patient tolerated the discectomy and arthroplasty well and was returned to recovery in good condition. What CPT® coding is reported for this procedure?

Answer options

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because it accurately reflects the coding for both the artificial disc placement at L3-L4 (22857) and the corresponding procedure for L5-S1 (22860). Option A is incorrect as it suggests coding the same procedure twice without proper differentiation, while C only accounts for one level and D is a miscellaneous code that does not apply here.