2025 CPT code 62291
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Revision Date: N/A Surgery - Surgical Procedures on the Nervous System Surgery Feed
Injection procedure for discography, each level; cervical or thoracic.
Modifiers may apply based on the circumstances of the procedure (e.g., 59 for distinct procedural services, 76 for repeat procedures).
Discography is medically necessary when other less invasive methods have failed to identify the source of persistent spinal pain, particularly before surgical intervention. It helps pinpoint the specific disc(s) causing pain to guide treatment decisions.
The physician uses fluoroscopy to guide a needle into the center of the suspected disc(s), injects contrast material, and interprets the resulting images to assess disc anatomy and the patient's response to the injection. This helps identify the source of pain.
In simple words: This test uses a special dye and x-rays to check your spinal discs in your neck or upper back for damage.A doctor injects dye into the center of the disc and takes x-rays to see if the disc is the source of your pain.
Discography is a diagnostic procedure involving the injection of contrast material into the nucleus pulposus of a cervical or thoracic spinal disc under fluoroscopic guidance.The procedure aims to visualize the intervertebral disc space and identify damaged vertebrae causing neck or back pain.The injection may temporarily reproduce the patient's pain symptoms.Radiographic imaging is reported separately.
Example 1: A 45-year-old female presents with chronic neck pain radiating to her right arm.Discography is performed to determine if a cervical disc is the source of her pain before considering surgical intervention., A 60-year-old male experiences persistent mid-back pain after a fall.Discography is used to evaluate thoracic disc involvement as part of a comprehensive diagnostic workup., A 30-year-old presents with ongoing pain in the upper back, unresponsive to conservative treatments.A discography is performed to rule out any specific damaged disc(s) causing pain at the thoracic level.
* Detailed patient history including location, character, and duration of pain.* Physical examination findings.* Results of previous imaging studies (if any).* Pre-procedure consent form signed by the patient.* Anesthesia records (if applicable).* Detailed procedural notes documenting the level(s) injected, contrast used, and patient's response.* Post-procedure images (discogram).* Post-procedure pain assessment.
- Revenue Code: I4B
- Payment Status: Active
- Specialties:Pain Management, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Radiology
- Place of Service:Office, Outpatient Hospital, Ambulatory Surgical Center