Summary & Overview
CPT 62282: Lumbar/Sacral Epidural Neurolytic Injection
CPT code 62282 designates an interventional pain management procedure: injection or infusion of a neurolytic agent into the lumbar or sacral epidural space, sometimes combined with another therapeutic drug. The code is used for targeted neurolysis to relieve severe pain from nerve root compression, complex recurrent postoperative pain, or spasm related to spasticity or paraplegia. Nationally, this code matters because it captures high-acuity, procedure-driven pain control interventions that can affect utilization, site-of-care decisions, and payer coverage policies.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical intent and expected sites of service, plus benchmarking and policy context where available. The publication highlights typical billing considerations, common modifiers supplied in the input, and implications for coding accuracy and claims processing.
This summary prepares clinicians, coders, and policy professionals to understand where CPT code 62282 fits within interventional pain services, what clinical indications it supports, and what to expect in payer coverage and administrative handling at a national level. Data not available in the input are identified where applicable in supporting sections.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 62282 describes the injection or infusion of a neurolytic agent into the lumbar or sacral epidural space. The service uses a substance intended to produce neurolysis (destruction of targeted nerve tissue) and may include the concurrent administration of another therapeutic drug. The procedure is intended to reduce or eliminate severe pain from causes such as painful nerve root compression, complex or recurrent postoperative pain, or spasm associated with spasticity or paraplegia.
Service Type: Interventional pain management / neurolytic epidural injection
Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department, ambulatory surgery center, or specialized interventional pain clinic
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 58-year-old individual with chronic, severe radicular lumbar pain refractory to conservative measures (physical therapy, oral analgesics, and epidural steroid injections) following prior lumbar spine surgery. The patient reports persistent burning, lancinating pain radiating along the L5 nerve root with functional impairment and opioid-refractory symptoms. After multidisciplinary evaluation including neurology/spine surgery and pain management, the interventional pain physician recommends an epidural neurolytic injection at the lumbar/sacral level to ablate the offending nerve root when imaging and prior procedures indicate focal nerve root compression or complex recurrent postoperative pain.
Clinical workflow:
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Pre-procedure: comprehensive history and physical, review of prior imaging (MRI/CT), informed consent that documents indication and risks, medication reconciliation (anticoagulation management per facility policy), and baseline pain and neurologic assessment.
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Day of procedure: verify site and laterality, time-out, moderate sedation or monitored anesthesia care as indicated, sterile technique and fluoroscopic or CT guidance to place an epidural needle at the targeted lumbar or sacral level, contrast confirmation of epidural spread, injection of neurolytic agent (eg, hypertonic saline, phenol, or alcohol) with or without an adjunct medication.
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Post-procedure: immediate neurologic and hemodynamic monitoring, documentation of agent(s) and volumes used, discharge instructions addressing expected transient motor/sensory changes and signs of complications, and scheduled follow-up to assess pain relief and functional outcome.
Coding Specifications
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