In an effort to increase the availability of two-level lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) to individuals experiencing degeneration of the intervertebral discs, the American Medical Association (AMA) has accepted the addition of a new add-on Category I Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for a second level of lumbar TDR.
Based on published AMA panel action documentation, the effective date for the new CPT code is January 2023, at which time providers can utilise the code when performing two-level lumbar total disc arthroplasty via an anterior approach.
James Yue, of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) Coding and Reimbursement Committee, said: “ISASS, working in collaboration with regulatory and industry partners, is pleased to announce the successful submission and approval of an AMA Category I CPT code for second level lumbar disc replacement. The approval is a culmination of more than 25 years of motion-sparing scientific, educational, and regulatory activities of ISASS and its physician and industry partners.”
Currently the only total disc replacement system in the USA approved for two-level use in the lumbar spine is the prodisc L (Centinel Spine).
Centinel Spine’s CEO, Steve Murray, commented: “Approval for a second level-specific CPT code is a critical milestone for lumbar total disc arthroplasty and reimbursement plays such a major role in whether patients have access to life-changing technologies. The leadership work of medical societies that support the process for reimbursement code development for patient access and benefit is essential and very much appreciated.”
Jack Zigler, an orthopaedic spine surgeon at the Texas Back Institute (Plano, USA), added: “I am excited for the opportunity to increase patient access to a procedure that has a strong record of success. Patients with two-level lumbar total disc replacements have done remarkably well in long-term follow-up. I have now seen multiple two-level disc replacement patients with over 15-year follow-up who remain positive with their clinical results.”
